What Are The Odds?
by Miuda22
Summary: After the big fight between Sam and his father, Sam goes to Stanford and creates a new life for himself but after the fire that claims Jessica, his old life comes back into his new one, while he struggles with his injuries and everything that has happened to him, can he keep his new family safe and let his brother back into his heart?
1. Where Do I Start?

What Are The Odds

By Miuda22

Chapter 1 - Where do I start?

Sam is dreaming, he's walking along a beach and he can feel each grain of soft, wave wet sand as he takes each step slip through his toes and squelch under the soles of his feet, leaving prints in his wake. He can feel the sun shine on his face and a light sea breeze flow through his hair, the weight of a small jewellery box burning a hole in his pocket and when he looks up and sees a familiar woman running towards him, his heart flutters seeing her beautiful blond hair bouncing behind her, he waves to her and calls out "Jess!" then he sees anguish cross her face and tears flood her eyes, he realises somethings very wrong, he starts running and the scene morphs into flames and heat, with Jess on the ceiling and his arms are outstretched towards her and a baby crying in the distance "NNNOOOOOOOOOO!" he screams and jolts awake, panting his breaths with his heart pounding in his chest. He quickly looks around the room and sets his eyes on the white second hand cot to the right of his bed and he sighs in relief, swipes a had over his face "shit" he whispers, it's been 4 months and these nightmares don't seem to be letting up any time soon, especially as the guilt has taken up residence in his already shattered heart. The illusion of walking on that beach and the shock of reality brings Sam quickly crashing back to earth. He wishes he could just go back to sleep and just stay in that place where everything was wonderful and safe and he was happy, at least when he wasn't thinking about his family.

He grabs for his watch and sees that it's 5 am, a new personal record of 3 hours continuous sleep. He pulls his arms up and places his hands flat on the bed on either side of his waist and groans as he pushes upper body up into a seating position, then pushes aside the sheets and drags his legs to the side of the bed. He leans forward and grabs his wheelchair and maneuvers it into position so he can pull himself up and into the chair, then he pulls on the wheels and moves over to his daughters cot, he looks over at her peaceful face and lightly touches her cheek with his thumb, she makes a snuffly noise but stays asleep. Sam drags his wheels into reverse so he moves away from her so as not to disturb her sleep.

He goes to the bathroom to begin his daily hygiene routine that has become the norm due to his condition. While in the shower his mind wanders to his brother and father, and hopes for the thousandth time that they are safe and well. He also wishes that even though he would give anything to see them again, he dreads the day that they would ever see what has become of him, a depressed, disabled, widdowed, single father with no job and no desire to go back to the life he started at Stanford , not with the pain that the memories of that time still invokes. Once he has showered and dressed in track pants and a t-shirt he moves into the kitchen to start brewing the morning coffee.

Minutes later upstairs Bobby stirs awake from the strong coffee smell wafting up the stairs into his room and he groans as he pulls himself out of his warm bed and away from his pleasant dreams of a life as a younger man with his wife years ago. After finishing in the bathromm, he listens to the sounds from the kitchen and knows that Sam is starting his day early, and knowing him, probably from the nightmares that have plagued the young father for months and wishes to his bones that he was able to do more for him in regards to getting in contact with his wayward family and growls under his breath just at the thought of them "I'll kill them" he whispers and moves back into his room to get dressed.

To think about the last 18 months and what the man in the kitchen has gone through and what he continues to go through makes his heart ache, but is proud of the knowledge that he can help in his own small way to make the life he has now with him as normal and as safe as possible. In his mind Sam is the strongest young man he has even met and is in awe of how he has been able to get past the deep cloud of depression he was buried under, when all this first happened, the fire and accident that resulted in his handicap, that he is still trying to not get him down, if just for the sake of his daughter and the man who he originally fondly called Pa when talking to his baby girl and has now taken to calling him that in private.

Bobby bounds down the stairs and into the kitchen towards the smell of coffee and pancakes that Sam has just started cooking on the stove. He moves around Sam towards the coffee machine and looks at his back. "Mornin Sam" he says and takes a step towards him and Sam moves away to the counter, knowing that Bobby will now take over to cooking duties, not because he thinks that Sam can't do it but because he knows his own limitations due to his current height issues.

"Morning Pa, sleep well?" he asks with an affectionate tone

"Yeah, I did but your coffee brew woke me up so if I get cranky from lack of sleep, it's your fault" Bobby says back with a mischievous glint in his eye "How's my girl?"

"Sleeping like a princess..., now anyway, she did not want to go to sleep after her midnight bottle, I don't know what's going on with her?"

"Maybe she wants to sleep with her Grandpa" Bobby adds with a smile

"If you want to give it try, go ahead, she loves pulling on your beard so maybe that's what she needs" Sam says moving quickly to avoid the slap to the head that was coming his way "Idjit" Bobby laughs back, making Sam laugh and grinning at the sound that has not been heard a lot lately and he is quite happy to hear.

After breakfast has been eaten and the dishes done, Sam knows that Bobby will want to begin his working day "Are you planning on working out in the workshop today or are you driving out for parts?" he asks

"I'm in the workshop today, can you answer the phones for me, both lines?" he asks knowing that Sam didn't mind working on the business side of things but was a bit hesitant to have any contact the whole hunter community, as many of them know about the Winchesters and he didn't want to get into any uncomfortable conversations.

"I think that'll be fine, if I get any calls I can't answer I'll come and get you"

Later that morning the rumbling sound of a familiar engine comes roaring down the drive to Singer Salvage and Sam is taking a coffee break on the porch swing, he pulls himself up to sit straighter, worry and fear twisting in his gut, the black muscle car comes to a stop in a cloud of dust and when it settles, Dean opens the car with a creak and looks over at the figure on the porch with disbelief and anger. "What the Hell are you doing here?" he asks not really interested in the answer.

"It's a long story" Sam says in a soft, weary voice.

"Bobby around?" Sam sighs at the quick change of subject.

"He's in the workshop around back"

Dean slams the door shut and starts walking towards the side of the house that leads to the workshop, stops and turns towards his brother with a look of betrayal on his face "I can't believe you're here, after everything you said about hunting before you abandoned us, you're actually staying here? Did you just not want to be around you family is that it?"

"…AAHH What?... No... that's not…" Sam stumbles out shaking his head.

"Whatever, I don't really care" and with that Dean leaves with a dismissive flourish of his hands. Sam is left bewildered and not at all surprised with the reaction, he maneuvers into his chair and goes inside to check on his daughter, glad that Dean didn't even notice the wheelchair and ask the inevitable questions that he wasn't all that keen in answering.

Dean walks around to the workshop thinking about Sam and what he could possibly be doing at Bobby's, thinking he'll give the gruff hunter a talking too for not telling him that he was here. When suddenly he's pushed up against the wall and Bobby's in his face yelling at him, ' where the hell have you been? Do you know how many times I tried calling you in the last 6 months? You better have a good excuse..." Dean blinks a few times trying to let his brain catch up to answer him.

'"What the hell are you talking about?"

Bobby is breathing hard and says ' What I'm talking about is all the crap your brother has had to deal with for the last 6 months and we couldn't get in contact with you or your father, Jim and Caleb tried calling you too but you were ignoring us all, where the hell have you two been?

"I don't know what your talking about, Dad and I have been hunting a nest of Vamps down in Louisiana for the last 5 months and we had to go deep in order to take them all out…I thought you knew this?"

"NO I didn't know this, if I did, would I be asking you? You bleedin idjit!" Bobby grounds out.

"Do you mind telling me what's got your knickers in a not? And what my brother is doing here" Dean asks exasperated by Bobby's tone

Bobby takes a breath to calm his nerves; he really didn't expect to see the man in front of him again but is also relieved as the young man inside is barely holding on as it is.

"It's a really long story…"

"That's what Sam said, sounded like a lame excuse to me, I thought he was at Stanford, not mooching off of you?"

"Hey now you don't know a God Damn thing tabout what Sam has gone through, so you watch your mouth" Bobby growls out at Dean

"Whoa, calm down"

"No, I will not calm down, you have NO right to come to MY house and start in on that boy"

"Bobby? How long has he been here?"

"He's here indefinitely, the story about the how and why is not mine to tell" with that Bobby stalks towards the house and stops "If you are at all interested in the real story, you best get that stick out of your ass and come inside"

"Indefinitely? What the hell?" Dean says softly to himself and he decides he is intrigued and surprised at the worry that creeps into his chest, he hasn't felt this in a long, long time…

Once inside, Dean walks towards the lounge room and looks around, he notices that it's tidy, which for Bobby is a miracle compared to the organized kayos that was Bobby's house the last time he was here, the house also seems to have clear passage ways around all the pieces of ages and well lived in furniture, everything is at a low level, which is odd too, then a noise brings his head around to the guest bedroom, off to the left of the large main room, first Bobby then he sees a much shorter Sam, he does a double take and realizes that Sam is in a wheelchair "What the Hell happened? What are you doing in a freakin wheelchair Sam?" he yells.

"Well, that's the million dollar question isn't it " "What the Hell happened?" Where do I start?


	2. Fire, Fire Everywhere!

Hi Everyone! Thank you so much for your reviews, favourites and follows! Considering that I am a complete novice at writing anything, I am completely surprised and honoured that you have all read my first chapter and I really hope you like the second one.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Supernatural or any of the wonderful characters that I am taking on this journey.

Chapter 2 - Fire, fire everywhere!

"Why don't you start by telling me why you're in a damn wheelchair?" Dean growls out in frustration. The other 2 men were not being all that free with their information.

Tired, pinched hazel eyes look down at their owners hands, that have started to tremble with growing pain and look up into the concerned eyes of his adoptive father and says "Ahh Pa I think it's time..."

Bobby gets up straight away and pours out a glass of water from the tap and then grabs the pain meds from the counter and dishes out the required dosage into his hand. Bobby looks at the clock on the wall and curses when he realises that Sam is way past due next dose, then walks back to his side, "Just breath through it, take deep breathes, these will kick in soon" he says softly, handing the young man the pills and the water while rubbing his back in a slow comforting motion that seems practiced and familiar.

Dean watches the interaction with a mixture of concern for his brother and jealousy that it's wasn't him offering the comfort that Bobby was showing his little brother "What's wrong?"

Bobby looks to Sam to see if he was ok with him answering and says "He's still on a pretty heavy pain relief regime, if we leave it too long, it really knocks him around"

Dean's interest has been peaked again in what exactly happened to Sam to put him in the wheelchair that he was now sitting " Ah, so are either of you going to fill me in to what happened?"

After few beats of silence and a look between his brother and the older hunter, Bobby clears his throat and sits down across from Dean "To cut a really long story short, Sam jumped out of a burning building and when he jumped, he landed really hard on his back, bruised his spine up something bad, he's still in physical therapy but it's a really slow process and with.." Bobby clears his throat " anyway the point is, Sam is stuck in this wheel chair until his back is healed up"

" and what's the long story?"

"Are you sure you want to hear all this?"

" Look, I know I've been avoiding Sam like the plague but he is still my brother"

"Oh you remember that now do you? Even after your Daddy threw him out?"

"Hey, Sam didn't give much of a choice..."

" ...and you weren't exactly on his side either, so don't you give me that!" Bobby's voice loud and gruff. "Just shut up!"

"Hey, Ah guys, do you mind keeping it down?" Sam asks while clutching at his head and slamming his eyes shut. Bobby is on his feet again, scooping Sam out of his wheel chair and rushes to the guest bedroom, Dean rises to his feet and is hot on his heals, Bobby turns around quickly and says in a stressed whisper "Just, stay here for a minute"

Dean is left bewildered and seriously considering going against the older mans wishes, but stays where he is and watches Bobby walk into the bedroom and listens to the soft murmuring coming form the dark room. After a minute Bobby walks out and closes the door softly and goes to retake his seat at the coach "Do you want to hear this story or not?"

Dean sits back down and leans back; he is getting the impression that this story isn't a short one.

"Sam called me when he was on that bus on his way to Stanford, he told me everything that had happened, he was so mixed up about it, I think all he really needed was someone to listen to him, to listen to all the fears he had, how much he was going to miss you and how he wished that it hadn't turned out the way it had" Bobby looked Dean right in the eyes and said "He got so depressed, and so obsessed with studying, he had no life outside of his books, he aced every class, I thought he was going to... But then he met Jess, after 2 years of study, work, study and work, he finally met someone to dig him out of the whole he had dug himself into. They had a whirlwind romance, he proposed 6 months in, they got married and then she found out that..." He trails off into silence.

Dean sat their throughout Bobby's story, his head swirling with a mixture of emotions from the sadness that he had missed it all, he hadn't been there to help his little brother through his first few years on his own. Then a little anger that he had known nothing of it, that Sam hadn't thought to tell his own family about any of this. Finally he felt guilt that the reason his little brother didn't speak to him about his new life was because his dad had kicked him out and he hadn't lifted a finger to stop him.

"Did either of you try to contact me? I would love to have been invited to my own brothers wedding"

"Are you kidding me? With the way Sam left, he wanted to speak to you, he even wanted you to be his best man, we tried to call, we left messages but you were off the grid and we didn't know why" Sighing Bobby continued "After a while Sam gave up, as far as he was concerned, if your dad wanted him out of your family, then he was out"

Nodding his understanding but still a little hurt he asks, "when did he move in here with you?"

"I'm getting there, don't get your knickers in a bunch" Bobby looks over at the guest bedroom and tilts his head as if listening for movement, after a short beat, he looks back at Dean "After their honeymoon, they settled back into life at Stanford, studying and working, I got a early morning call with some news that just about blew my socks off... Jess was pregnant"

Dean's eyebrows go up in shock and growing dread, he looked over at the bedroom, hoping that this story isn't going where he feared it is.

"The pregnancy, was an extremely happy experience for them, Sam was so nervous about becoming a Dad, he me for some advice but as I've never had kids if my own, there wasn't much I could give. They named her Hope and she is the apple of her Daddy and her Grandpa's eyes" Bobby has a small smile growing on his lips as he talks about Deans niece who he didn't even know existed "unfortunately, their whole world ended when she celebrated her 6 month birthday…"

Now Dean suddenly sits up straight "What? Please don't tell me what I think you're about to tell me!"

Bobby takes a breath and after a beat "Sam, wasn't able to save Jess from the fire, he tried but it was just too hot, the flames too intense, so he grabbed Hope from her crib and ran but he had to jump from the 2nd floor landing, with Hope in his arms and with his happy, normal life burning into ash behind him..."

Sighing at the enormity of that statement he continues "Hope didn't have a scratch on her, but Sam was in a bad way, he bruised his spine and even though the doctors had told him that he had a very good chance of being able to walk again, he was dealing with a lot, the physical therapy is really taking it out if him, and he isn't getting the kind of results he thinks he should so he gets frustrated and I'm really worried he's going to slip back into depression"

"So ah" Dean clears his throat, as the emotion of the story of what had happened to his little brother clogs it, "does he know what caused the fire?"

"Oh yeah, it was the same thing that killed your mom, that yellow eyed SOB, and as much as Sam would love to go out there and track him down, he knows he can't. Not in his condition. He figured your dad would continue his search, he doesn't need a, in Sam's own words mind you, 'cripple' getting in his way"


	3. Replacement and Trust

Hello again, here we are again for another chapter and this one gives you hint of what's coming. I hope you enjoy it!? Fingers crossed. Thanks again to all my wonderful reviewers, followers and people who favorited this story, I'm honored.

Please forgive all mistakes they are mine.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Supernatural or any of the wonderful characters that I am taking on this journey.

Chapter 3 - Replacement and Trust

About 30 minutes later Bobby hears the first signs of Hope waking up from her nap, so he jumps up hoping to get to her before she woke her overtaxed father. He walks slowly into the guest bedroom and looks toward the main bed, Sam looks to be still asleep, so he moves toward the crib with the now grumbly baby girl. He picks her up and soothes her by rubbing her back and whispers to her "Shhh baby girl shhh" and walks slowly out of the room.

Dean is standing just outside the room and when he sees the little pink bundle that is snuggled in Bobby's arms making unhappy noises, he takes a step back to allow him to come into the main room, closing the door after him. Dean watches as Bobby expertly places her on the change table that is across the room and starts to put a clean diaper on her. "So have you done that before?" He asks smirking at his friend who expertly cleans and changes the pink; frilly, girly baby in front if him.

With a laugh Bobby answers, "Yeah I've had the pleasure a few times."

"CCan I hold her when you're done?" Dean asks tentatively

"I'd rather you didn't" Sam says sleepily, coming out of the room in his wheelchair, rubbing a hand over his face.

"Hey, how're you feelin?" Bobby asks, looking at Sam to gage how he was at that moment, knowing that the young father was not always forthcoming with his pain. He looked over at Deans hurt face and shakes his head minutely to tell him not to question him.

"I've felt better and I've felt a lot worse too so, I'll live." Sam says pushing the metals rails of his wheel chair to move over to Bobby and takes his now redressed daughter from the older hunter as she starts to wiggle towards her dad, arms stretching out asking for him.

"Hello my baby girl! Are you feeling better after your nap?" Sam asks gently to the little girl who settles into his arms and sighs as if she is finally where she needed to be. He maneuvers towards Dean, stops right in front of him and turns her around so she can see him "Honey, this is Dean, Dean this is Hope Deana Winchester"

Dean's eyes flick to Sam's when he hears the middle name but they go straight back to Hope's as he smiles at her, looking into her blue green eyes he says "Hello Hope" he takes her hand when she stretches it out to him, her chubby fingers curl around 2 of his and grips them tightly. "I'm your uncle Dean" she makes a noise with her lips and brings his fingers to her mouth and promptly starts gnawing on them. Sam starts chuckling, then Bobby chimes in, leaving Dean to curl his lip in disgust and when she looks up at him with her daddy's patent puppy dog eyes he too starts to laugh softly, his hard exterior melting just a little to let her into his heart.

"I think she likes you" Bobby says

"What's not to like, I'm the cool uncle" Dean replies with a smile

"Well that remains to be seen" Sam states "I need to know that you're not going to break her heart when you leave again, that's why I didn't want you to hold her, she needs stability and to be secure enough to know that the people she loves will be there for her."

"I _want_ to be there for her, isn't that enough for now"

"No, not really, ...look Dean don't get me wrong, I think it's great that you want to be in her life..."

"Not _just_ her life Sammy"

"It's Sam, and you haven't earned the right to call me that again. You betrayed me when you didn't fight for me, when you said nothing when Dad kicked me out, how can I trust that you won't do the same to my daughter? I need to trust you and the fact that you're here now makes me want to trust you, but you have to earn it first" Sam finishes in a sigh, looking earnestly into Deans eyes and trying to convey the honesty of his words.

"What do I have to do to convince you?" Dean asks gently

"Well for one thing, you can tell me why you're here in the first place? Did you know I was here?"

"I didn't have a clue, but I needed Bobby's help, I heard about some demon signs in the area, I wasn't sure if Bobby was aware but they seemed to be converging in one place"

"And where's that?"

"Here"

"What? No please, don't tell me it's coming true?"

"What's coming true Sam?" Dean asks concerned for the young man, who looks on the verge of hyperventilating.

"Ah, well, you see Ah... I have these dreams, and Ah, sometimes they come true" he takes another deep breath, trying to calm down "I thought it was just stress at first, but now I'm not so sure, oh god" Sam hugs his daughter closer to his chest as she responds to his growing distress by making unhappy noises.

"Sam, are you sure you want to tell him all this?" Bobby asks in a conspiring whisper.

"He should know, ...if he's honest about wanting to be in our lives, this is our lives"

"The first time I dreamed about something and it came true, was when I dreamed about what happened to my wife, but at the time I thought it was the stress of work and studying and when it actually happened, I realized that I should have done something to stop it, but now with my injury I'm next to useless."

"Don't say that OK, you know it's not true, just give it time and it'll happen, maybe we shouldn't jump to any conclusions, it might not be what you think it is" Bobby says reassuringly.

Sam looks up at the clock and turns to Bobby, "We have to go, my appointment is at 2pm" sighing in resignation.

"What appointment?"

"Physical therapy but you don't need to come"

"I want to…"

"No please, stay here, I don't need to be distracted by you seeing me trying and failing to walk again"

"But maybe I can..."

"Dean please, stay here for now, maybe next time you can come along"

"Fine, I need to work on the impala anyway" he says dejectedly.

Sam turns his wheelchair and gives Hope to Bobby and moves back into his room and closes the door to change "Don't get too mad at him, he's just trying to get used to you again" Bobby says quietly

"I know, it just hurts that he won't even let me be there for him while he does his Physical Therapy, or even to hold my niece"

"You weren't here for a lot of stuff and that hurt him, so just give him time"

Sam reappears dressed in sweats and a t-shirt that shows off the bulging muscles in his arms "whoa there Rambo, what's with the big guns you have there?"

"I need strong arms to move around in this wheelchair, to lift myself onto the bed, the couch, even the toilet, if I don't want to burden Bobby with helping me with all that, then I have to learn to do it myself"

"Okay, OK, I was just saying, I know I've missed a lot and you've changed obviously, but you have to work with me here, I'm trying to get used to these changes too"

Sighing loudly Sam realized he's being too hard on his brother "Sorry Dean, I don't mean to take it all out on you, I'm just mad about this whole situation"

"I would be too, just take your time, I'll be here when you get back"

"Ok, let's go Pa" Sam says pushing off towards the front door and the car outside.

Dean notices the Pa comment and makes a note to ask about that later. His dad would not be too happy with Sam replacing him with Bobby, but considering their last conversation on that fateful night, could he really expect anything else. John had practically disowned his youngest son, he had been left with no one else to turn too, if Bobby was around to help fill the void, all Dean could really do was thank him for doing it when he wasn't.


	4. Fast and Furious

Ok, so I read, re-read and re-read some more of this one, changing my mind where I wanted this story to go. I didn't want it to get repetitive but I think it turned out pretty well. So I hope you all enjoy!

Please forgive all mistakes they're mine alone.

**A/N:** I have absolutely NO medical training so please forgive any inaccuracies.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Supernatural or any of the wonderful characters that I am taking on this journey.

Chapter 4 - Fast and Furious

Just as Sam, Bobby and Hope, in her baby capsule, drove away, kicking up dust and leaving a cloud in their wake, Dean runs to the drivers side of his beloved impala, then waits until he hears their car touch asphalt, then starts the engine and she rumbles to life, he puts the car in gear and takes off slowly towards the main road. He looks both ways and sees Bobby's car in the distance, so he turns in their direction but continues to drive slowly and when they go over a hill, he speeds up so he doesn't loose them but stays at a safe enough distance so they won't see him.

He makes it to the hospital parking lot without them spotting the classic car and watches as they park around the back of the hospital where the Physical Therapy and Outpatient gym is located and after helping Sam with his wheel chair and taking Hope out of her baby seat, grabbing her bag and settling her on Sam's lap, they enter the main doors.

Dean quickly finds a parking space 4 aisles away from the entrance and jumps out to run to the thick bushes that are shielding the large windows of the gym, so he can watch his brother with is therapy. After a few minutes he spots them walking into the gym with a young brunette, dressed in blue and black gym pants and a tank top. Bobby takes a seat with Hope to watch Sam and the previously mentioned brunette move towards the blue mats that lay in front of the two parallel bars that Dean presumes Sam will use to practice his walking.

Sam maneuvers himself out of his wheelchair and onto a mat so he and the brunette can start his stretches. From outside Dean can't hear what they are saying but he can see that she instructs Sam to lay down on his back. She then picks up his right leg and bends it towards his chest then moves it so the bend leg crosses over his body to the left and instructs him to hold his leg, she then rolls him back to the starting position and lifts his leg up and partially bends it and then leans into it so Sam can feel the stretch, Dean can tell that Sam is already feeling the pain, just from doing these first few stretches, but is managing to work through it which fills Dean with pride at his strength of will, as well as sorrow that due to their upbringing Sam is compelled to not show his pain.

The instructor works on bending and stretching his right leg a number of times then, takes up his left leg and repeats the process. After completing these stretches he then rolls on his stomach and completes a series of stretches with his arms and legs. This process of stretches continues for about 20 minutes, then Sam drags himself over to his wheelchair, pulling himself into it and moves over to the parallel bars where the instructor pulls him out of his chair with the aid of a large orderly, to stand up in front of the 2 bars in front of him.

"Come on Sammy you can do it" Dean whispers, then goes to move to the entry doors so he can slip inside and listen to what they are saying.

He watches from a partially closed gym closet, as Sam holds himself up with his 2 strong arms, muscles bulging and twitching with the effort and try's to move his right foot ever so slightly into a step forward, then he moves his arms forward so his left foot can also be dragged into its first step, Dean watches as his brother struggles to get his feet to cooperate, sliding rather than lifting and stepping forward, he moves his arms again so his right foot can take its second step, all the while Sam's red face is scrunched up in the pain and effort of holding his body up, he has a layer of sweat on his face and is talking through clenched teeth, to the gym instructor who is quite tiny compared to his Sasquatch of a brother, now that he is at his full height, but looks to not be intimidated by his size, is trying to be encouraging "That's it, you can do it, don't focus on the fact that you're dragging your feet but on the fact that you are using your muscles to take each step, re-teaching them how to do it" she says in a gentle voice that Dean knows is something that Sam responds to rather than barked orders.

"I should be able to do it by now, Damn it!" Sam says as his left arm doesn't lock and he slips when he tries to take another step, the orderly who helped his stand, now helps him to his wheelchair at the end of the bars.

"Sh#t" Dean whispers as he sees the disappointed, downcast eyes of his little brother.

The gym instructor crouches down in front of him and stalks softly to him, Dean struggles to hear their conversation "Hey now, you where doing so good until you tried rushing it, you need to slow it down, Sam, I know how hard you've been working and I can tell that you must have been an overachiever at school but... cut yourself some slack, you're already doing above and beyond my other patients with your injury." She finishes rubbing his arm in a comforting way. She looks over at Bobby who is gathering Hope into his arms and walking slowly towards them.

"Give us a minute Tracy would you?" He says to the instructor, who Dean vows to thank later.

"Sam, son look at me, please..."

Sam slowly lifts his head to look at Bobby, a tear falls down his chin falling into his lap as he says "Sorry Pa"

"You have absolutely nothing to be sorry for, ya hear me, I am SO proud of you, of what you've achieved, I know you think you should be walking by now, but trust me. You'll get there, you're the most stubborn idjit I've had the privilege of knowing _and_ I don't want to see you get hurt, so please, take your time, if not for yourself, then at least do it for this little one" he says smiling down at the blonde haired baby, clapping her hands and reaching toward her daddy, making him laugh wetly.

"Now, are we done gettin girly?" Bobby asks standing up and clearing his throat.

Dean is wiping away the tears as he creeps out of the closet. In his opinion Sam Winchester is the strongest and bravest young man/father/son/brother he has ever known and if his father was here to see what just happened, he would be just as, if not more, proud than Dean and Bobby combined.

Dean turns around to see Sam and his entourage move out of the gym towards the back of the building where the heated pools where located. This he presumes is so Sam can cool down his muscles after the workout he just had. Dean hides again in a changing room in the pool area so he can watch. Sam takes his sweat pants off to reveal swimming trunks; his now bare legs show a multitude of scars and burn marks from the accident that claimed his ability to walk. Dean now comes to realize just how much Sam has been dealing with without him and will be forever grateful to these people including Bobby for being here for his little brother.

Dean walks out of the gym towards the impala so he can get back to Bobby's place before them, he takes the time to think about everything that he's seen and heard. He's ashamed to think that he hadn't wanted to see or speak to his brother again when he had first left to go to Stanford. He sits there with the motor running for a minute, when he sees two men dressed in black over by Bobby's car, they look in the back seat, then walk over towards the front door and slip around the side to hide in the bushes. Dean is suddenly on high alert, "Who the hell are you, and what do you want with my brother" He whispers harshly. He grabs his shotgun from behind the front seat and checks to make sure he has salt rounds in it, his Taurus resting in the waistband of his jeans as a back up. He gets out of the impala and runs around to where the two men are hiding, going the long way so they don't see him. When he gets closer he hears them talking to each other "He's inside the pool, let's wait til he come out with the old man and follow them back to their place" one of them turns and he sees black eyes reflecting in the window.

Dean turns around and sprints back to the impala and charges out of the parking lot, tires squealing, he wants to get back to Bobby's so he can set up an ambush, he needs to know why demons are after his brother.

Dean is racing back to Bobby's at record speed, it's a good 45 minute trip when doing the speed limit, he'll cut it down to 20 at this rate. He makes a plan to catch these guys, so they can find out what is going on once and for all.

As Sam and Bobby move towards their car with Hope on his lap, Sam's rusty hunter instincts kick in when the hairs on the back of his neck stand up and he says softly "Do you feel that?"

"Yeah, I feel it too, we're being followed" Bobby answers

"I felt it earlier but I thought I was imagining it, now it's is a million times worse. Let's get out of here"

Bobby puts Hope in her baby capsule, as Sam lifts himself into the passenger seat and turns to the side to fold his chair up so Bobby can grab it and put it in the back.

"Let's go, keep an eye out for me" Bobby asks Sam seriously

Sam breathes deeply, trying to calm himself down so he can keep his head and wits about him in case the sh#t hits the fan.

Bobby speeds down the road towards his house, hoping that Dean isn't going to be too surprised when they come screeching down his driveway.

Dean is standing in the living room, with the shot guns loaded, salt rounds piled on the coffee table, a few bottles of holy water, exorcism books open to the appropriate page and devils traps painted under the rug by the front door. He can hear a car coming towards the house at great speed, it stops in a cloud of dirt.

Dean comes to the door and opens it quickly, slamming the door, making it bounce of the frame, he barrels down the stairs toward the passenger door, opening it for Sam and grabbing the wheelchair out of the back, "quick we have company coming!" he yells urgently

Bobby yanks open the back door and scoops a sleeping Hope out of her seat and slips her bag over his shoulder "let's move it NOW!"

They move into the house in a storm of commotion and noise, Hope wakes up and grumbles at the unkind way she was woken up, Bobby try's to calm her down and moves to the guest bedroom to put her down again. "Shhh sweet heart shhhh, don't cry, go back to sleep sweety" he whispers trying to calm his pounding heart, Hope knows the calm is a lie but trusts her grandpa enough to close her eyes and when he puts her into her crib, keeps them closed and sighs.

"Ok can you want to tell me what the hell is going on, how did you know we were being followed?"

" Umm well, I sort of followed you to your therapy session and I noticed that you were being followed, I heard them say they wanted to follow you back here, so I came back to set up"

Closing his shocked mouth so he could speak, Sam says "Ok I'll forget for a moment that you went behind my back, what else did they say?"

"That's it, just that they were going to wait and follow you back here, I don't think they know that Bobby lives in a fortress"

Bobby walks back into the room after closing the bedroom door softly "so what's happening?"

"Well Dean followed us to my therapy session and noticed the two demons following us, heard them say they would follow us back here and he came back early to get ready"

"He what? Dean you were supposed to stay here" Bobby looks at Dean questioningly

"I know and I'm sorry about that but if I hadn't we wouldn't be as prepared as we are now"

"That's what I felt earlier, it was you!" Sam exclaims

Just then they hear a car come charging down the driveway and stop with a screech.

Two men jump out of the car and one of then yells mockingly "Sammy, Come out and play!"

Sam swallows and takes a breath, "What do they want with me? I don't know anything, I didn't _do_ anything...Ah sh#t!"

"What?"

Sam sits in his wheelchair stunned, in shock and freaked the hell out.

Dean crouches down in front of him and puts his hand on his knee "Sam, kiddo, what's wrong?"

Sam blinks and lifts his head up to look into Deans expectant green eyes and says "I know why there're here... I forgot all about it"

Dean looks up at Bobby who shakes his head "What?"

"You're never going to believe me, please believe me!"

"Okay kiddo, I'll believe you, but you gotta tell me what's got you all worked up"

"I... I think it was my second year at Stanford and I kept getting migraines, and one night I had a nightmare about a man telling me that I'd let you down when I left, that I put you in danger and that it was my fault every time you got hurt, cause I had left you alone and the only way that I could make it up to you, to keep you _and_ Dad safe, was if I gave him something..."

"Oh god no" Bobby whispers, shocked to his core and crossing his fingers behind his back that he was wrong.

"What did he ask for, Sam?" Dean asks not really wanting to hear the answer but knowing already in his breaking heart.

"He said he wanted to have a few minutes alone with my first born child, on their 6 month birthday, I of course thought he was nuts… that I was nuts, but god help me I said yes!"


	5. Just Like Riding a Bike

Now this chapter was tough! But I finally go there! So please enjoy

Please forgive all mistakes they're mine alone.

**A/N:** Thanks to all the lovely people who left a review, favorited, followed or just read my little story, it really helps me to get the next chapter out as fast as I can.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Supernatural or any of the wonderful characters that I am taking on this journey.

Chapter 5 - Just like riding a bike!

"It's all my fault!" Sam cry's out "Oh my god... I killed her" he whispers in self recrimination.

Dean is shocked by the guilt he can feel coming off his little brother in waves. "No Sammy, that's not true, it was that evil sonuvab#tch demon who killed her, not you!"

"How do you know? You weren't there!" Sam yells, with a burst of anger at his brother, at himself, at the way his life has turned out "I thought it was a dream... that he was a dream, but he wasn't and because of my stupidity, she's gone" Sam is crying now, tears streaming down his face.

Sam gulps in a breath, trying to rein in his emotions "I'd had nightmares since I was a kid, so when I dreamed about him while I was at Stanford, I thought it was just a figment of my imagination you know, stress related, or something, I mean how was I to know he was the same demon that took mum from us, you have to believe me, I swear I didn't know!" Sam puts his head in his hands and sobs.

Bobby shakes his head worriedly, Sam was creeping down that road again, the lonely road of despair. "Sam... son I know you think you've finally connected all the dots but maybe, just maybe you're layin the blame on the wrong person"

He kneels down in front of the man who, in his heart, he sees as his own son. "Now I'd really like to get to the bottom of this, but, we have company and we gotta get our heads on straight."

"Come on Sam, you have something we want!" unwelcome voices from the yard outside broke the moment, three sets of eyes dart to the front door, there is silence for a moment then a projectile comes smashing through the front window, showering glass all over the occupants, making them duck for cover. As suddenly as it came into the room, smoke starts spewing from the offending object, "SH#T!"

The three hunters start coughing and scrunching their eyes tight, there is a loud bang from the front door when one of the demons comes smashing into the house with a sledge hammer, unknowingly braking the devils trap under the rug and allowing the demons into the house. One of them moves into the lounge room towards them, seeing Bobby and Dean passed out on the couch and Sam, who had made a dive out of his wheelchair to the floor was splayed on the floor, with his legs still tangled in the chair.

"Ah, there you are! I was starting to think you were ignoring me on purpose" Sam groans and starts to roll onto his stomach so he can push up onto his arms and move away from the intruders but the demon grabs him by the front of his shirt and with superhuman strength lifts him up to tower above him, his tight hold on Sam's shirt cutting off the circulation causing him to gasp and bring his hands up to futilely try to remove the hands strangling him. "You're going to tell me where she is right now, or you get to watch your friends die!"

Meanwhile the other demon starts dragging Bobby and Dean to the floor and begins to tie them up.

"NO!, Please! Leave them the hell alone!" Sam grunts out in fear.

"Then why don't you tell me where the girl is and maybe I'll let you live"

"Go to Hell!" Sam spits out "What do you want with her anyway?"

"Thats for me to know and you to find out" the demon states mockingly "Lets just say that the boss isn't very happy with you, Winchester"

The man throws him across the room into a bookcase. Sam falls to a heap on the floor, books and knick knacks fall on top of him making him groan, then he falls silent.

His attacker walks towards his brother and says "Maybe I'll have better luck with Deano!" He bends down and grabs him similarly to Sam and starts to choke him.

In a quiet voice Sam starts reciting a prayer that he thought useless at the time, but like most other things from his childhood, had been seared into his brain "Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus, omnis satanica potestas, omnis incursio..."

"Stop! Or you'll never see her again!" The demon threatens.

Sam continues "...infernalis adversarii, omnis legio, et secta diabolica. Ergo draco maledicte et sectio..."

Suddenly the ringleaders companion is on him, punching him in the ribs and face, again and again, then a kick to the stomach which momentarily forces the air out if his lungs.

He gasps "...E..ergo draco maledicte et legio secta diabolica" Sam swallows, trying to take a deep breath but is unable as his ribs angrily protest, rendering them as useless to giving him a much needed supply of oxygen. The demon attaching him, has to stop from the pain of what the chant is doing to him.

Sam recites the final sentence in almost a whisper as his vision starts to grey out around the edges and his voice sounds like he is under water "Ut Ecclésiam tuam secúra tibi fácias servire libertáte, te rogámus, audi nos. Amen"

Suddenly, black smoke comes shooting out of the duo simultaneously, making the room dark as night and then bright as day again when the smoke shoots out the front door and back to the depths of hell.

The human vessels collapsing, returning to their original state of death. The two unconscious hunters remaining blissfully unaware that the threat has been defeated for now. Sam closes his eyes as exhaustion and his multitude of injuries pull him into sleep.

Dean awakens slowly and becomes aware of the high pitched wailing at the same time as the pain in his head makes itself know.

Opening his eyes slowly, noticing that the sun was now setting. The wailing continued until he was awake completely and he realises that it is coming from the guest bedroom. He pushed himself up to a sitting position and looks around the room to see the carnage that has been left after the demons attack. Suddenly panic rushes through him when he sees Sam slouched over against the bookcase covered in a mountain of books with blood staining his shirt from a head wound.

As the cry's become more insistent, Dean makes a choice to comfort his helpless niece first, rushes into the guest room and takes three quick steps to the crib scooping up the upset little girl and starts making comforting noises, rubbing her back and kissing her head so she knows that she isn't alone.

As Dean walks back into the main room, Bobby starts to groan and opens his eyes, blinks twice up at the ceiling, trying to clear his vision then turns his head toward Dean "Aaahh, Dean, what the hell happened?" Dean is humming to Hope, calming her down further and walking towards where Sam is still unconscious "Well, Bobby the last thing I remember are those smoke bombs coming into the room and me passing out, we'll have to wake Sammy up in order to get the rest of the story"

"Sammy?" Dean gently slaps the side of Sam's face, while also checking his pulse to feel a sluggish beat under his fingertips. "Wake up little brother" Dean scans Sam's body, making a mental triage of any injures he may has sustained when he collided with the bookcase, he notices a ring of bruises starting to form around his neck and hopes that his breathing hasn't been compromised.

Bobby walks over to Dean and takes the mini winchester into his arms so Dean can help his brother with both hands. Moving Sam slowly away from the bookcase to lay flat on his back, Dean notices that apart from the tacky blood that has streamed down his face, Sam has a large goose egg bump on the back of his head, a number of possible cracked or broken ribs and he can only assume that he also has bruises upon bruises on his back. "They really did a number on you kiddo" he shakes his head "How the hell did he get rid of them Bobby?"

Just then Sam gasps and tries to push himself into a sitting position, white hot pain shoots through him, so he goes to roll over and gasps again as his ribs protest the movement "Ow" he says through a gravelly voice, sounding like he's been gargling with sandy whisky.

"Whoa there, just take it easy" Dean rests a hand on Sam's chest above his heart to slow his movement and to give comfort to the injured young man.

"De'n, Oh god my head hurts" His hands move to his head but are stopped by gentle calloused hands.

"Yeah, you banged your head real good, what do you remember?" Dean asks placing a hand over Sam's forehead to feel that he has a slight fever but nothing to worry about just yet.

"I don' remember alot, but..." Sam swallows, trying to sooth his sore throat "They wanted to take Hope from me, and said if I didn't give her to them, they would kill you, so I did the only thing I could think of, I exorcised them"

"What!?" Dean asks stunned "Even dad can't recite an exorcism without a reference of some kind, I gotta say, I'm impressed Sammy"

"Yeah, Paster Jim taught me that exorcism years ago, but somehow I remembered it, word for word, like it was yesterday" Clearing his throat a little when the last part was more of a whisper. "How's Hope doing?, is she alright?"

"Yeah Sammy, she's OK, more importantly, how are you doin?" Bobby asks

"Honestly?... I feel like crap, I think I might have cracked ribs, I have a monster headache and my back is cramping up something fierce!" Sam grounds out the last part while trying to find more comfortable position but failing.

"OK, Sammy, let me check you over" Dean says pressing a hand gently to Sam's abdomen, feeling for any breaks 'I don't think they're broken, maybe cracked, I'll have to wrap them for you" Dean goes around him and manipulates Sam up into a leaning rather they sitting position then slips his arms through his underarms and drags him over to the couch, then pulls him up to sit on the soft cushions. A wave a nausea flows though Sam at the change in altitude and he swallows convulsively and holds his head in his hands until it passes "I thn'k I have a concus'n too" slurring his words and shooting Deans worry up a notch.

"Bobby, can you get me the first aid kit and some ice packs" Dean asks, not wanting to move away from his brother at that moment.

When Bobby comes back with what was asked of him, including a glass of water, Dean has Sam's shirt off and is inventorying the multiple bruises on his back, some already a dark blue and purple, Dean takes out a long bandage and starts wrapping his ribs tightly.

Taking a shuddery breath and sighing Sam says "This sucks" his head leaning forward to rest on Deans shoulder

"I know kiddo, I know" Dean is truly grateful that nothing more serious happened to any off them, including his niece who is more precious to him now than he imagined her to be.

Dean clears his throat in a nervous way and says softly "I'm real proud of you, Sammy" His younger brothers eyes shoot up to his face in shock.

"What for? None of this would have happened if it wasn't for me" shame fills him, filling in the hole beside the guilt.

"Sammy, you... You were able to save all of us, thats not something to sniff at!" Dean tries to convey his pride in the little brother in front of him, who in all honesty, he didn't believe could protect himself, much less save two seasoned hunters _and_ his daughter against any number of demons two days ago, but now would trust with his life.

"After everything that you've been though, being in that wheelchair, I gotta say,...your pretty awesome... after me of course!" Dean tries to use sarcasm to mask the emotion that came over him, his little brother had come into his own.

Sam laughs softly at that and recognizes Dean's sarcasm for what it is and appreciates the effort. Dean finishes of wrapping his ribs and pins it down, then moves to the gash on the side of Sam's head, resting his forehead on Dean so he can have a better look, taking comfort in the gently callused hands moving his hair out of the way until the still bleeding gash is revealed. "This is goin ta need stitches"

"MMmmm, Do what you gotta do" Sam says with his eyes closed, breathing through the pain.

Dean gathers the needle, sutures and antiseptic and starts to clean the wound, making Sam gasp and grunt, mumbling soothing words to his little brother to keep him calm Dean threads the needle and starts the first stitch "Take it easy Sammy, first stitch, then three more"

Bobby, who has been holding Hope, talking softly to her, watching the brothers with a small smile on his face, is hopeful that the brothers are now on the same page and can maybe move forward, together, instead of separated by misunderstandings and distance.

Once Dean has finished the stitches he hands Sam some pain killers, his long overdue meds and the glass of water, then pushes him down on the couch so he can lay down and place the ice bags over his ribs. "Take a nap, we'll look after Hope for you while you get some rest OK?"

He doesn't get an answer from the young father but he didn't expect too. He looks up to see Bobby looking at him, he walks toward him and motions to the kitchen so they can talk, without disturbing Sam.

"What do you suppose that was all about, the demons wanting to take Hope? I thought old yellow eyes, got what he wanted when he killed Jess?" Dean asks when he takes a seat at the table, Bobby hands Hope to him while he pours himself a cup of coffee and prepares a bottle for her.

"I have no idea, we'll need to do some research I'm thinkin" Bobby looks over the the door, thinking about the possibilities.

"We have to up our defenses, those damn demons just smashed their way through here like those traps where nothin... Bobby grumbles "and we need to do something about my front door!" Bobby practically yells making Dean chuckle.

Looking down at Hope's face, all he sees is Sam as a little kid and remembers looking after his little kid brother through the flu, finals and fights with their father and knows then that even though there is so much stuff between them, he can get past the last 4 years and maybe get his little brother back.

All of a sudden a moan of pain comes from the couch and Dean passes Hope to Bobby, who grabs her now warm bottle and they move toward the injured young man to see that he has his eyes scrunched closed "Ah, I got cramps in my legs" the pain clearly bringing tears to his eyes.

"OK, buddy I'll give your legs a massage" Dean grabs his left leg and starts massaging his calf "Do you normally get these so badly?" Dean moves to his thigh feeling the extremely tight muscles.

"I don't know, I don't think he ever had them this bad" Bobby states worriedly. "Maybe tomorrow we should go see your doctor?"

"Ah, oh man, I don't know what's wrong" Sam grinds out, worried that maybe this is something more.

"It's alright kiddo, we'll find out what's happening tomorrow, I'm sure it's nothing" Dean says to Sam while starting to massage his right leg.

Bobby looks on quietly, wondering what else could possibly go wrong and how he could prevent it.


	6. Famous Last Words

I really struggled with this one, I don't know if it was just that each day of work was a killer and my brain was moosh by the time I got home or I didn't realize how hard this writing gig is?

Please forgive all mistakes they're mine alone.

A/N: Thanks to all the wonderful people who left a review, favorited, followed or read my little story. Each day I get inspired by the other authors on her and hope that someone gets excited each time they get a new chapter alert for this story.

Disclaimer: I don't own Supernatural or any of the wonderful characters that I am taking on this journey.

Chapter 6 - Famous Last Words

Dean continued to massage his brother's legs, until the tightness in his muscles had eased off. He felt that it was the least he could do as he had missed so much of his brother's recovery and therapy that he could get past his mucho phobia of having chick flick moments.

Sam had passed out from exhaustion again, so Dean and Bobby had left him on the couch and decided to clean up the mess the demons had left behind. Bobby placed a now content Hope in her bouncy chair, so she could keep an eye on them all, while they worked.

Bobby quickly moved the two deceased, empty vessels out of the house, for disposal later. He was mulling a few ideas around in his head to make his house, as well as his friends and family, more safe, secure and impervious to demon and all supernatural attacks.

Dean inspected the damage made to the front door and knew that Bobby had a spare door in his garage from a previous repair job, so he went to retrieve the door. An idea popped into his head and before he replaced the door, he searched Bobby's workshop for the tools he required to do the job. Sure that Bobby would approve he decided to try his idea and see what he said.

An hour or so later saw Dean finishing off his repair job in the dark and Bobby showering from his double grave digging duty. Sam had woken up and had soothed Hope from her funk at not having anyone's attention and decided to start making dinner. He moved into the kitchen and even though, due to his height difference to the counter, he was able to see what he was doing, he still had to do things a little differently to able bodied people. While he made a casserole for everyone he remembered his first ever attempt to cook anything was for Jess and how they both ended up having to order in when it was burnt to a crisp, making himself chuckle at the memory. After that, Jess taught him how to cook everything her mother had taught her so now he was quite skilled at cooking meals for his family.

Dean finished up and started packing away his tools and could smell the delicious aromas coming from the kitchen which we're making his stomach growl with hunger and was again surprised at Sam's accomplishments and wished that their Dad could see the man he had become. Dean had tried to call his Dad a number of times since he had arrived at Bobby's but his calls had gone unanswered. Not that he was all that surprised, when his Dad started a new hunt, it was hard for him to change his focus. He just hoped that when the hunt was finished that he would make his way to South Dakota.

Once Bobby had come back into the living room, clean and smelling of old spice and Deep Heat, the table was set and dinner was ready to be dished out. Bobby went into the kitchen to help Sam carry the casserole dish to the dining table and they all sat down to eat "So what did you guys get up too while I was napping and cooking?" Sam asked genuinely interested, he heard all the noises and curses and wondered what was happening.

"I disposed of the unfortunate souls who had been mixed up with those demons, I have the blisters to prove it" Bobby said showing his blistered hands and marvelling not one person at the table battered, an eyelid at the conversation topic.

"I would have helped you if I could" Sam said sadly, glancing down at his useless legs and back up to Bobby's face.

"Don't you worry none, This old body can still dig a grave, you being in that chair has nothing to do with that." Bobby looked into Sam's eyes earnestly, making sure that the young man could see the honesty in his own.

"I didn't even notice where you had gone off too, let alone that you were digging up two graves on your own, sorry Bobby" Dean looks to Bobby, suddenly guilty that he hadn't helped the older hunter out.

"Oh come on now ya idjit, I was fine to dig a couple graves, don't go feeling bad that you couldn't help me, I ain't dead yet" Bobby grumbled.

"Alright, alright, don't get all bent out outta shape" Dean said smirking, 'keep your dentures in', Dean thinks while also trying not to laugh. "Now, the most important part of my statement, was the fact that I fixed the front door and I came up with a couple ideas to monster proof this place"

"Oh good, I knew I kept you around for some reason, other than to eat me out a house and home" Bobby says back to the teasing from the young upstart in front of him "I've come up with a few ideas of my own, cause I don't think that was last we've seen of those demons." Bobby stated, while he had been digging, he thought out all the logistics for these new security measures, they weren't quick fixes but he and Dean could get them done in a few days.

"I'd love to see these ideas myself, when we're done here, you can show us all" Sam says to Dean and Bobby, while he feeds Hope her mashed pumpkin and rice and her favourite, chocolate pudding for desert. By the time she was done, she had food all over her face, the front of her pink bib and her high chair but was very happy with herself.

When they had taken their plates to the kitchen for washing up, they all went to the front door, to see Dean's handy work. Sam was very impressed at his brothers handyman abilities but not all that surprised, as he was always good at anything he tried, which had been something his father had reminded him of when he wasn't quite able to meet the same level of expertise.

"Ok, so, when I replaced the front door, I came up with a couple ways to help repel demons and any supernatural monster who wanted to darken out doorstep, so, I combined a few of our tricks of the trade, all in one place" Dean made the Ta Da! hand gesture towards the front door "I painted a devils trap with the government issue only, invisible paint that I found in your workshop" grinning at Bobby, Dean says "I'd really like to know how you got that by the way"

"Let's just say I acquired it, and leave it at that" Bobby winks conspiringly

Anyway, I mixed it with a little holy water and painted it under the welcome mat and the back of the door and then I sprinkled salt all over it while it was wet, so when it dissolved it was also invisible" Dean turned off the lights and shone a blue light torch over the back of the door and suddenly a large symbol was illuminated on the back of the door, then he opened the door, and shone the torch where the welcome mat usually lay, the symbol was brightly illuminated right outside the door. "I also carved a devils trap on the door knob so no demon could open this door." Dean said quite proud of himself and his idea. "Any Ghost, Rawhead or Demon won't have a chance in hell of getting in here to try and take my niece or anyone from this place again."

"That's bloomin brilliant!" Bobby said wondering why he hadn't thought of that himself.

"Yeah Dean, I am very impressed, really... thank you" Sam said sincerely, he looked down at Hope was sitting in his lap she started clapping and giggling, showing her pleasure at seeing the pretty lights "I think Hope likes it too, say thank you to your uncle baby girl" Sam spoke to his daughter who put her arms out towards Dean, asking for him to pick her up. Dean hesitated but then took his brother up on the offer immediately, as he could see the honest gratitude in his eyes, that Dean had thought to make the house more secure for his daughters safety.

Dean knew that this gesture was a big one on his brothers part, it meant that he was starting to trust him. He thought to himself that he would keep doing anything to get his brother to trust him. The little girl in his arms and his brother who had needed him, so many times over the last few years and he hadn't been there for him, so if Sam wanted him to built a house, steel a car, kill an angel or even work a few miracles, then he would, because they were both worth it. "I can do the same thing to the back door and I can paint the traps on all the windows too."

Nodding his, head in agreement, Bobby clapped Dean on his shoulder and said "Great job son, really, I don't know why I didn't think of it myself, ingenious in it simplicity but freakin clever!" Smiling at Dean and sparing a glance at Sam, seeing the smile on his face, but not reaching his pain filled eyes. "I have a few ideas myself, but I need your thoughts on the logistics of gettin them done"

They all moved towards the living room, taking a seat on the couch. Sam went to grab his meds as his legs were making themselves known again, then pushed himself into the room, so he was facing them. "Firstly, I have an idea to bury some iron piping all around the property so we have a huge devils trap surrounding this place, any SOB monster couldn't even get through those gates, let alone into this house. Secondly, I want to install a sprinkler system that comes directly from my holy water tank"

"Um that's going to take some work Pa, are you sure you guys can do it?" Sam asks, again thinking how useless he was, but knowing that he can help in other ways "Maybe you can call in some help, Caleb maybe?"

"Or Dad?, if he calls me back?" Dean asks, saying the last bit in a bitterness that was starting to set in, not thinking about the reaction that the mention of his Dad would cause his little brother.

"I don't think Dads such a good idea Dean, he hasn't been here, for any of this, he hasn't returned any of our calls, I just... I just don't think he would want to help... with this" The help me with this, wasn't said but Dean heard it in his brothers voice, he knew that the way things had ended between Sam and their Dad, was a sore subject with his little brother but he knew that if their Dad knew what had happened to his little brother, that he had a granddaughter, he would be there to help in a heart beat. Dean vowed to keep trying to call their Dad, they needed him there with them, and maybe even fix the broken father/son relationship.

"Alright Sammy, we'll call Caleb to help us" smiling cheekily to Sam remembering all the hijinks the older man and himself used to get up to growing up, "The more the merrier" Dean chuckled to himself.

"Ok, so I'll source the iron piping and a sprinkler system and you can call Caleb, we should try to get all this done, sooner rather than later, we don't know when these Demons won't try again" Bobby suggests "Sam kiddo, do you need to take a bath in some Epsom salts to help with your cramps?, I can tell your in pain, maybe I should call your doctor to make a house call, I'm not sure it's safe yet to drive all they way out to the hospital" Bobby asks clearly concerned

"A bath sounds good, I'm really worried something is wrong, they never hurt this bad before" Sam grits out.

"Right, I'm calling your doc first, go start the bath, I'll help you get in when I'm done" Bobby rushes to the phone to make to call.

"Sam, do you want me to help?, I'm worried about you man" Dean carries a content Hope in his arms, she was playing with the amulet around his neck, keeping quiet, listing to the brothers talk and watching his father move towards their room to grab his sweats.

"Ah, well, it's a little... Um, it's embarrassing.. I can't get into the bath myself, so... Ah, I... Gotta be naked when you put me in the bath" The last part is mumbled and quiet but Dean hears it and tells himself this is the stuff he missed, he needs to be here for his brother and to not make him feel bad about it, to just do it and not make a fuss.

"Hey, man, it's not like you have something I don't have. Seriously, I used to bath you as a kid, so... It's fine really, let me help, please?" Dean says that last part earnestly, and with as much honesty he can fathom.

"Ok man, but this is part of the whole paralyzed gig man, if you can't handle it, I don't need you laughing or anything" Sam says as a red flush creeps up his neck to his face.

"It's fine Sammy, really, no teasing, I swear, cross my heart? Dean tells his brother, hoping to dispel any fears his brother might have.

"Ok let's get this done, I'll just put Hope in her bouncy chair and I'll come and help you in" Dean goes back out to the main room and grabs Hopes bouncy chair and moves it so she would be facing the bathroom, then places her in it and moves into the bathroom and partially closes the door, so Sam has some privacy while he strips off. Dean can see all the scars that Sam now has all over his back and chest and feels sympathy for his brother for what he's lost, and just as quickly pushes it down and gets his head in the game.

"Alrighty, are you ready Sammy?" Dean moves towards him and gently lifts him out of the chair, without looking at his brothers face, so as not to make him more embarrassed, noting that even though he was skinny, his little brother was all muscle and made his arms strain a little with the weight, he moved over towards the steaming tub, which is half filled with warm water and smells like Epsom salts and menthol, he places his brother into the tub just as gently and then gets up and places a soft towel behind his brothers back and the tub so he is more comfortable, then goes to leave the room, giving his brother his privacy. "Thanks Dean" he hears softly as he closes the door.

He lets out a breath he didn't realise he was holding. "That wasn't awkward, at all" he whispers to himself just as Bobby comes back into the room, placing the phone back on the counter.

"Did Sam get in the tub already?" Bobby asks, looking toward the closed bathroom door, knowing that the brothers would have come to an understanding.

"Yeah, yeah, I helped him out" Dean says scratching the back of his neck, shrugging one shoulder and looking at anything but Bobby's face.

"About time, ya idjit" Bobby chastises with a soft smile on his face "He really wanted you here for all of this stuff, but we had to get over all the embarrassment right quick after his accident, there wasn't time for it. Now you're here, I think he's happier, knowing that you're willing to do that for him, it's good"

"Well, I want to be here for him and Hope. I missed a lot huh?" Dean looks toward Bobby, who had been a dad to Sam when their Dad didn't, couldn't, wouldn't, what ever.

"Yeah, you missed a lot, and I don't think I'll ever be able to tell you what he went through, he won't either. It was hard at the time and it's hard to think about, let alone repeat to someone. Give him time, maybe one day, he'll tell you everything"

Dean nods and looks toward his niece who is jumping up and down in her baby fun park chair and talking to herself in baby language and it reminds him of when he was four or so and was looking after his baby brother when his Dad was either too depressed or drunk to really be a parent, especially at the beginning, before hunting, before he turned into something other than their father. Sam would understand that grief now, even if he had chosen a different direction, maybe now they would have something in common.

Fifteen minutes or so later, Sam was on the couch watching Dean play with Hope, making her laugh, which made him get a little sentimental, thinking how he had once thought he would never get this time with his brother again, then chastised himself, he wanted to still be mad at his brother, but when he was like this, like the brother he remembered from his childhood, it was a little hard to remember what he was so mad about. Then there was a knock at the door, Bobby walked to the door, letting the doctor in, having a quiet conversation with him before showing him into the lounge room.

Dr Gottfredson walked toward the couch, seeing Sam sprawled across it's length, which surprisingly fit his tall frame comfortably. His daughter with a strange man, who he assumes is Sam's brother, who he spoke about ad nauseum during each of his visits that he practically knew the man. "Hey Sam, what have you gone and done to yourself now, young man?" He asked, in a half jokingly, half serious way. He had been worried about his patient on the drive over, after Bobby had mentioned the symptoms to him in his call for a home visit. He had hoped that Sam would be showing signs that he was regaining some movement or feeling in his legs by now, but so far had been left to think that his current state would be a permanent one.

"Hi Dr" Sam says to the middle aged man in front of him, offering his hand for a handshake, "I'm not sure what's going on, I'm hoping you can tell me it's all in my imagination" Sam says, fear obvious in his voice, even though he tried to hide it in front of his brother. 'Winchesters didn't show fear, that's what his father used to say to him every time he let his fear get the better of him, making him feel small, and not quite measuring up to his fathers ideals.

Putting his medical bag down on the coffee table he motions towards Dean and Hope and says, "Do you want an audience for this or can you guys leave us alone for a bit?" Dr Bill Gottfredson asked, not really caring either way but wanting his patient to be comfortable.

"It's fine, Doctor, Dean can stay" Sam says in his quiet voice, which meant that he was trying to include his long lost brother in his new life and hoping the doctor would adhere to his wishes.

"Alrighty, can you take off your shirt and can you move him down so he can roll onto his stomach for me?" He says to Sam then Bobby, moving towards the couch once Sam is situated, he feels along Sam's spine, concentrating where the bruising was most pronounced at the time of his injury, to feel for any changes or for any pain on Sam's part. He then moves towards his legs, feeling the muscles "Were the cramps along the whole leg or just part of it?"

"It was the whole leg, down to me toes, it was like redhot pokers were jabbing me in the legs" Sam answers, partly muffled with his face in the pillows on the couch.

"Hhmm" Bill makes a noncommittal noise, while thinking on this piece of information " What about your back, any pain there?"

"My back has been aching a little but no where near as bad as right after the accident." Sam says to the doctor while he finished checking his other leg.

"Ok, I think we might have some good news for you" the doctor told Sam, making him grin hesitatingly, "I think you may be getting some feeling back finally in your legs, the spinal swelling is down, so the pain that your experiencing is just the nerves firing and miss firing while they are healing from being crushed." Dean raises his eyebrows at the word crushed, hearing it from his brothers doctor really brought it all home for the once buried big brother, just how bad the accident was, and how lucky his brother was to not be paralyzed permanently.

"So, I can finally get out of this chair? Is that what your trying to tell be doctor?" Sam asks with hope clearly etched on his face.

"Yes Sam, that's exactly what I'm saying, you, are on your way to being able to walk again. You still have a lot of therapy to go, but I am optimistic that you will be out of that chair very soon."

"Oh boy, look out, there'll be no stopping him now" Bobby says, amused and happy for his young charge who had fought against depression and grief, loneliness and despair and come out the other side with slow building confidence and pride in his own accomplishments.

"Did you hear that honey, your Daddy is going to walk again, you'll get to see what a Sasquatch he really is" Dean says to Hope with a smirk, making her giggle and the other men in the room, chuckle knowing that the tenacity and bullheadedness that his little brother had inherited from their father was going to make sure that he would be up and walking around in half the time, now that he had something for him to strive towards, making his family proud and then going after the demon that had tried to destroy his family and his spirit.


	7. Buried Treasure

So here is the next chapter of my little, or not so little story. I've already started on my second story, so it's a little tricky going from this story to that one but I'm enjoying it.

Please forgive all mistakes they're mine alone.

A/N: Thanks you all again to everyone who is ready, favouriting, or following this story. It really keeps me going knowning that people other than my sister is enjoying this.

Disclaimer: I don't own Supernatural or any of the wonderful characters that I am taking on this journey.

Chapter 7 - Buried Treasure

The doctor left 15 minutes later, after discussing with Sam his therapy options and possibly involving his brother in some of the exercises. Sam excused himself to his bedroom, quietly closing the door. A few minutes later Dean could here muffled sobs and moved to go comfort his brother "Dean leave him, this is a huge thing for him, He just needs to work some stuff out" Bobby says not unkindly, but knowing how the young father would react, was intent on leaving him to have a moment to wallow in the warring emotions that this revelation would evoke.

"Screw that, I'm here now... I want to help him. I want to be his brother again... " Dean says, his own emotions rising to the surface, making him swallow the lump down, determined to be strong.

"Alright, go in there, but... just remember, he doesn't need the cocky, smart#ss Dean, what he really needs is his big brother, you get me?" Bobby says back to Dean starting out softly then getting more passionate by the end.

Dean nods to Bobby in understanding, then turns towards the bedroom where the heartbreaking sobs are coming from and opens it slowly and quietly, then closes it behind him.

What he sees, makes the big brother part of him stand to attention and run to his little brothers side. Sam has pulled himself out of his chair onto the floor, obviously not having the strength to get to the bed where it would be more comfortable, he is laying on his side and has his hands to his face and rocking back and forth, sobbing like his life depends on it. Dean lays down onto his side next to his brother and grabs him into his arms and starts shushing him and talking softly to him, not caring about the tears that are soaking his shirt, just about the little brother who had been holding himself together, just barely and now that he has some good news, that finally something is got right, that he couldn't hold it together anymore.

"It's Ok little brother, your Ok, I'm here now, just get it all out." He says softly, rubbing Sam's back in little circles, the way he used too when he was a little boy and his big brothers arms where the safest place to be. "I promise, things are going to get better now, you don't have to hide from me Sammy, it's Ok" Dean kept up his barrage of soft words to his brother until the sobbing quieted down, but he kept holding his brother until he was ready to let go. When Sam finally pulled back, his eyes where puffy and red, his nose was all gross but Dean didn't care, all he saw was his brave, strong little brother who had been through SO much, and had finally been able to grieve for the loss of his wife, his baby girl, the brother he thought he would never see again and his own injuries.

"Are you feeling a bit better now Sammy?" Dean says gently, still rubbing his back, not letting go.

Wiping his eyes and nose with his sleeve, Sam looks into Deans eyes, and sees that there is no shame, or guilt, directed at him, just understanding and pride. He shakes his head, this is who he needed all those months ago, when his injury first happened, when his world fell apart. "T.. thanks Dean, I'm sorry" Sam says his checks going pink in embarrassment, he was wrapped in his brothers arms, sobbing like a little girl. "I know what the doctor said was good news, but, I don't know what came over me."

"Hey now, you have absolutely nothing to be sorry for. It looks like this was long over due. _I'm_ sorry, I haven't been a very good big brother have I?" Dean asks, moving so he can drag Sam up to lean against the bed, so they can be face to face..

"I want to say something to you, that I don't think you know about" Dean clears his throat, getting his thoughts together so he can get this out. "When you left for Stanford, I was so shocked that it was happening that I couldn't speak, so... I let you leave thinking that you had lost me too, but Sammy... I was so proud of you, I mean somehow, you, with our crappy lives, where able to get straight A's, write your admissions essay and get a scholarship to one of the best schools in the country, how could I not be proud... I kicked myself for not saying anything when you left, I didn't think you wanted me calling you, so I did the next best thing I could think of." Dean stops' talking for a minute and Sam is looking at him, transfixed. "I organised with the scholarship board for you to have a little extra money to help pay for food, books, anything else you needed. And every christmas I had a care package delivered to your dorm room, I hoped you knew it was me but I was just happy that you didn't go without" Dean looked away from the watery, hazel eyes looking at him, seeing past his tough exterior into the gooey centre.

"That was you? I... I always wondered who would do that for me, I always thought it was a mistake.. I even tried to give it back once, but they told me that it was definitely for me" Sam says wiping his wet eyes with the back of his hand. "Why didn't you come and see me, all that time I thought you had disowned me... like Dad"

"Dad and I argued about you leaving, we stopped hunting together soon after that. I was so proud of you but Dad couldn't see past you leaving, it wasn't until 6 months later that he started to see how wrong he was, but by then... it was too late" Dean says sadly "I would drive though Stanford and check up on you when ever I could, Dad too" Sam's eyebrows rise when he mentioned Dad came to see him. "We didn't abandon you Sam, but we thought it was best to leave you to your new life, you deserved it."

Tears are now streaming down Sam's face "I'm sorry, I didn't know... I've been blaming you guys, I thought... I thought, I had been kicked out of my own family, but all this time..." Sam says through his tears, crying openly.

"Sammy, come on, it's Ok, I'm here now" Dean try's to comfort his brother, snaking both arms around his brothers bulky, muscled frame, knowing that what he just revealed would help his brother to heal and his own guilty heart to heal.

They stayed that way for a while, not moving, comforting each other. Sam finally lifts his head and looks at his brothers face and smiles, laughs a little in embarrassment, but doesn't move away. "I think I've cried on you enough for today, sorry... Ha ha, I didn't realise how much I needed that... you can make fun of me now" Sam says nervously.

"It's fine, Sam, really, I want you to come to me for all this stuff, or Bobby if you need to. Because what's ahead of you... us, is going to be tough, we need to be honest with each other Ok" Dean says to Sam, standing up and waiting for Sam's go ahead to pick him up, to be transferred to the bed. "... I'm not going to make fun of you, as hard as that is to say" Dean says smirking at his brother.

"Yeah, Ok" Sam gratefully nods his head, then lifts his arm so Dean can easily lift him and place him on the more comfortable bed, when he lays down, while Dean lifts his legs and arranges them comfortably. He then hands Sam a few tissues so he can blow his nose and wipe his face of tears. "I'm fine now, thanks Dean" Dean pats his shoulder and walks to the door.

"I'll be right back Ok?" Dean says and slips out of the room and walks towards The kitchen where Bobby is sitting with Hope, feeding her some banana custard, she giggles and smacks Bobby in the face wiping some custard on his beard making him cringe, Dean chuckles at the sight "Having fun there grandpa?" Dean says, pulling faces at Hope, making her squeal in delight.

"How is he?" Bobby asks quietly, worried that what ever happened behind that closed door, was a cathartic experience for both Winchester boys and not a heartbreaking one. "Does he need me to go in there or...?"

"Nah, Bobby, he's fine. We got to say a few things to each other that... I think we really needed to say... He's been holding onto a lotta stuff" Dean says, trying to keep his emotions under control. "I just wish Dad could be here for this, you know... I mean, the man that Sam has become... Dad's an idiot for not being here, and when he does show his face, I'm going to have a thing or two to say to him." Bobby nods his head in agreement, he would have to fight to get to John first, and it wouldn't be words that he would want to trade with the older Winchester when he came out from the hole he had been hiding in."

"So, Sam's alright in there?, you guys are on the same page now, or do I need to bang your heads together?" Bobby asks, really worried about the young father who he had cared for and come to know as the son he and his late wife never had.

"Sam's fine, Bobby, really... it got a little... chic flicky in there, but I think he needed it. It's like he hadn't really grieved... like he needed to keep it all inside" Dean shakes his head worriedly.

"Sounds like someone else I know" Bobby says with a smirk. "He's had a lot on his mind and this little one needed her Daddy, I don't remember Sam really crying that much after the accident. He got real quiet, almost catatonic for a while in the beginning."

"Well the damn just broke, I think he wasn't expecting good news, I think he thought he only ever had bad luck, or bad things always happening to him, like he deserved it or something" Dean is suddenly worried about his little brother.

"Yeah, but now, things are turning around. He's finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel." Bobby says with a small smile on his face.

Dean nods and moves to go outside to the Impala. Going to the trunk and lifting the weapons tray, moving things so he could get to the back, digging out an old duffle bag, closing up the trunk and taking it inside and to Sam's room and closing the door behind him. Looking up to see Sam staring at him with a quizzical look on his face. "I have something I think you'll want to see, Sammy"

"What? W...What's wrong?" Sam looks at the old, tattered duffle bag that Dean is holding, he doesn't recognise it but thinks it belongs to their Dad. "What have you got in there?"

Dean clears his throat, scratches the back of his neck, "Well, Ummm, I have some old stuff that Dad had been holding onto and I found it in the back of the trunk, when we split up"

Dean puts the duffle on the bed and unzips it, moving the old tattered material out of the way to see the contents. Hidden within the well worn, dull olive drab material, are an odd collection of childhood memorabilia that Sam thought had all been lost over he years. A soccer trophy, dog eared, paperback copy of_ To Kill a Mockingbird_, an old report card with all A's, the crumpled Stanford acceptance letter, a long lens wedding photo of Sam kissing Jess and finally, a newspaper cutting of Hope's birth announcement. "Dad kept looking at most of this stuff for like 4 weeks after you left, with a bottle of Jack in one hand and this bag in the other, then it was each anniversary after that. He would add to it too, I haven't seem this photo or the paper clipping before" Dean says looking at the photo of Sam and Jess together on the happiest day of his life. "He really did miss you, Sam, I know he doesn't show it very well, and he would probably never admit to it..."

Sam is breathing through his nose and biting his bottom lip, trying to keep his emotions in check. Clearing his throat he says "Uumm, this is... I don't know what say".

"Yeah, Sam, I just... I just wanted you to know that even though Dad could be a real a$$ while we were growing up, he really missed you, he was proud of you and he was happy that you were finally getting that apple pie life that you always dreamed about."

Sam picked up the second hand copy of _To Kill a Mockingbird_ and remembered being scrunched in the backseat reading that book for the 3rd time in as many months, one of which was for a book report where he compared the main character to his father and he got a perfect score. Then he picked up the photo of himself with Jess at their wedding, right after they said 'I do'. His eyes got misty and he quickly put the photo down so he wouldn't let his grief overtake him again. "These are amazing, really, I forgot all about some of these things" Sam picks up the soccer trophy and wonders after all the fights he and his father had about the 14 year old playing sports, why would he keep it after all these years? "Why did Dad hold on to this, he always dug his heals in about me playing soccer... I don't get it?"

Dean shakes his head, not sure himself but aware that his Dad was a very contradictory man, that when on one hand he wanted his son to stay with him, stay together, and on the other hand, was proud that'll his youngest son, the last gift his late wife had given him, had married the woman he loved, made a life together, a child, then sadly much like himself had lost it all. And after years of not understanding each other, they now tragically had more in common that a father and son had the right to have.

Dean realised now that only after so much heartache that Sam will finally understand how easy it would be to become obsessed with revenge, so obsessed with making evil pay for taking his happy life away. Dean smiles to himself that Sam had chosen a different path, he wanted to be a better father to Hope, he wanted her to know that her father loved her and that she could have any life she wanted. He as an older brother didn't want this scary life for Sam, but as they had been so brutally reminded that this life never really left them alone.

"Hey Sammy, can I ask you something?" Dean asks watching Sam put the treasures back in their fathers old duffle bag, putting a hand on top of it and holding it there, closing his eyes for moment, as if like a prayer. Then lifting his hand, looking at his brother and waiting for him to continue, the moment passing.

"Yeah, what is it?" Sam says back, his big eyes blinking back at him.

"I want to help you with all this, with protecting Hope, keeping her safe, getting you through your therapy, everything, but I need to know... Will you let me, will you let me be part of this and help you get rid of that yellow eyed bastard once and for all?"

Sam looks into Deans earnest eyes, knowing that before he had actually asked him, that he wanted his brother with him, he couldn't do all this on his own.


	8. We Are Family!

I hope you are enjoying this story, I'm trying to work in all my little ideas and this story is now WAY longer than I originally thought it would be but I love writing it. I may post the first chapter on my second story soon, I just have to edit it and start the second chapter so I can see where its going. Look out for it soon!

Please forgive all mistakes they're mine alone.

A/N: Thanks you as always to everyone who is favouriting, following and reviewing it really helps that I'm not just writing for myself, that you are all waiting for the next installment.

Disclaimer: I don't own Supernatural or any of the wonderful characters that I am taking on this journey.

Chapter 8 – We are Family!

"Dean, please don't take this the wrong way but in the immortal words of Bobby Singer, you're an idjit! ...of course I want, no... _need_ you to help me with this, I can't do this by myself and as much as Bobby has helped me through SO MUCH, I can't expect him to take ALL this on his own, we need someone else on our team." Sam was smiling and really hoping that Dean didn't think he was joking.

"Ok that's good" Dean chuckles nervously, he hadn't wanted to step on anyone's toes, he didn't want to make his brother feel like he thought he was too weak to do it, that being in that wheel chair was a burden but his brother had already proved himself more that capable.

Looking back down at the contents of the bag, something caught Sam's eye buried at the bottom, right in one of the dark corners of the fabric, he dove in the pull it out." What the hell is this" He asks, finding a small parcel wrapped in newspaper, with his dad's handwriting, it was marked with just one word 'Hope'. His father had a bought a gift for his granddaughter, hidden in the depths of his fathers memory bag, that he obviously intended to give to her, one day. He was starting to see a whole other side to his father that he wished he could have known that John Winchester more, instead of the war weary soldier and hunter he grew up with. He looked up at Deans puzzled face and moved to open it. The parcel fit in the palm of his hand, and weighed almost nothing. Sam tore off the sticky tape and unraveled the paper to show a small jewellery pouch and a folded note. Sam passed the note to Dean in a silent request to read it out loud, while he opened the pouch.

"Sam, Congratulations on the birth of your beautiful daughter, she is so much like her mother, and yours, I am truly happy that you have been able to build this life for yourself, but as a father and now grandfather, I can't help but remember the dangers that lurk in the shadows. Please take this small token of protection for Hope, the stone in the middle is a Hope Stone, it seemed fitting. I am so proud of you my son, welcome to the club. Dad"

Opening the top off the pouch and tipping it upside down, revealing a silver brooch with a filigree border in the shape of a devils trap, in each of the points was a semi precious stone, amethyst, agate, aqua marine, quartz etc and in the middle was the Hope Stone.

Dean looked up to see Sam with an strange look on his face, he was in shock that his father had bought this brooch, possibly had it made especially for his granddaughter so she would be protected. "Did you know about this?"

Dean shook his head, "No Sammy, I have no idea how, when or where Dad pulled this off" Dean is surprised that John Winchester had gone to all the trouble of getting this gift for Sam's baby girl and not telling him about it.

"Well I say we go and pin that on your little girl right now, ...couldn't hurt right?" Dean asked, patting Sam on the shoulder. Sam looked up at his brother and nodded, now was as good a time as any. Straightening out against the back of the bed, Sam tried to leaver himself so he could grip the quilt and drag himself up onto the bed, but his brother was right there to pick him up, no complaints, no questions asked, making Sam incredibly grateful that his brother had come back into his life, and seemingly not forgotten how to read him like an open book.

"Thanks Dean" Sam says softly to his brother, trying not to let his emotions yet again, get away from him, he had cried enough tears today, his brother had seen him break down, more than once and he supposed that now the damn had broken, his emotions always sat right under the surface, so easy to just come out now, just from a small act of kindness. Shaking his head and telling himself that he needed to get himself under control. He swallowed it down and wheeled himself to tell Bobby about what they had found.

"No problem Sammy" placing Sam into his wheelchair. Dean moved toward the door, gave Sam a quick once over, to see if he was alright and once seeing that he was ready, opened the door and walked through it. "Hey, Bobby? Can we show you something?" Watching as Bobby came from the kitchen with Hope on his hip, sucking on her thumb and watching her Daddy come into the room. "We found this in the bottom of a bag of stuff that Dad left behind, it's for Hope"

Bobby puts his hand out so Sam could put it into his hand and in his other hand he grabs the letter from Dean, which he reads first. Grumbling he puts the letter down and looks at the brooch in his hand, "well, it would have been nice if he'd said all that stuff in person but I guess we can't ask for everything" Bobby says, looking closer at the intricate design.

"What do you think Pa?, is it safe for her to wear?" Sam asks the surrogate father, trusting his judgment.

"Well, It was made special, I've never seem one like it. How about I do a little research to make sure, if you want her to wear it." He looks at Sam and smiles "I think it'll protect her, all these stones have protective and healing properties. Bobby finishes reassuringly.

"Da!" Hope says trying to get her fathers attention. Sam freezes, thinking whether he heard correctly "Da!" She says again stretching her arms out for him.

"Oh my god, did she just…" Bobby whispers passing her to Sam. Note really caring that Da wasn't really a word.

"I think she did Pa, she just said her first word" Sam smiles down at his daughter.

Suddenly Dean is there taking a photo. Clicking away. "We can't let this minute pass by without a happy snap, come on baby, say Dean, Deeeeaaaaaaannnnn!" Another snap of the camera.

"Da... dadadadada!" Sam chuckles and kisses his daughter on the forehead. "Well at least she has her priorities straight"

"Ha ha Sammy, she loves her uncle Dean, don't you baby girl?" Dean asks his niece, the last part in a high pitched baby talk that Sam never in a million years thought would come out of his butch brothers mouth.

"Da! Dadadada! Hope happily chanted, smiling all the while, swinging her arms in the air, clapping, joyously happy to have the 3 older men's attention.

"Deeeaaannn, Come on little one, Deeeaaannnn" Dean looks her right in the eyes, while he try's to get her to say his name.

She was silent for a while, looking at him with wide eyes, then she says "Papapapapapapapapa!" Bobby laughs out loud, huge smile on his face, happy to be her second word.

"Ooh man, she's just leaving the best to last. You know I was your first word, way before you said Dad, you said De." Looking Sam's proud father face, his heart swelling at the smile on his face, dimples in full force. "Dad was a little grumpy but he got over it, I was looking after you all the time anyway."

"Yeah I guess you were, I always thought you were the best big brother, I probably got a little possessive though, I remember chucking tantrums to get you to stay with me, instead of going on your dates." Sam looks apologetically.

"Yeah you were quite the little c... date blocker" Dean says with a smirk, looking at his brother holding his rather impressionable niece who once she started talking would repeat everything they said. "Sometimes I didn't really mind though, You were pretty cool for a geek, and you thought my gadgets where clever, and sometimes you said you didn't mind that Dad wasn't there, because you had your big brother and that was enough" Shaking his head, Dean wonders where all that estrogen came from, why was he turning into such a girl, oh wait, it was the little girl in his brothers arms.

"Well, I kind of thought the stars and moon shone out of you back then. I know things have changed now but you're still a pretty good big brother." Sam says, surprised that he actually believed that now, even though a week ago he would have wanted nothing to do with the man in front of him.

"Oh well, thanks" Dean says scratching the back of his neck nervously.

"Ok enough of this love fest, lets get this little one down for the night. All this excitement has screwed up her routine" Bobby states like the grandpa he was and loved being, picking Hope up from her fathers lap, rubbing her back softly, starting to sooth her into relaxation.

"Oh yeah, your right, she's had way too much stimulation today, I hope she'll sleep through now" Sam feeling doubtful, suddenly remembering that he was a responsible father.

"You said stimulation" Dean said sniggering in a childish manner that if Sam was honest with himself he had really missed.

"What are you 12? I meant she... never mind" Sam said shaking his head at his brother.

Wheeling into the guest bedroom after Bobby had walked in with Hope, watching him sooth his daughter, trying to get her to close her eyes for sleep, he turns off the light and moves toward her crib and grabs her favourite toy, a pink rabbit that Jess had bought her, before she was born. It still smelled like her perfume, he remembered she would be in the rocking chair with Hope, humming her to sleep with the rabbit against her chest, soaking in her perfume so it still smelled like her even after washing it. Handing Bobby the rabbit he says softly "Here, this might help"

"Ah, she loves this thing." Bobby says softly so Hope doesn't startle, her eyes are half mast, she grabs onto the rabbit with her hand and scrunches it up and puts her thumb in her mouth, her eyes closing all the way, a big sigh indicating the toy was what she had been waiting for.

Sam goes to his wardrobe and takes out his Stanford sweatshirt and puts it on his bed for later, after everything that had happened today, this old piece of clothing would comfort him when he changed for bed and hopefully allow him to sleep without any nightmares.

Sam wheeled out to the lounge room, leaving Bobby to put his daughter in her crib. He looked towards Dean and said, "You have our old room upstairs if you like, or the couch folds out, which ever you want" Sam realised he was nervous for some reason.

"The couch is fine" Dean asks knowing that his brothers nerves were from wanting his brother to be close by but not wanting to seem so weak by asking him to stay.

Letting out a breath he didn't realise he had been holding. Dean walks up to him, pats him on the shoulder and crouches down and says softly "Don't worry Sammy, I'll stay down here, I won't leave you two alone" Dean wants his brother to know that the newly re-established brotherly affection was not going to end now that the sun had gone down.

"Ok, thanks...Umm Dean? ...Ok now I really feel like a wimp, I need my big brother sleeping just outside my bedroom just so I can sleep!" Sam says aggravated with himself, looking at his hands, fidgeting and closing his eyes in shame.

Dean watches him thinking the kid was punishing himself for needing a little protection, having to ask anyone, let alone his brother for something he used to need every night when he was 10 years old. After everything that had happened today, his brave, strong, amazing little brother thought he was being a burden. Dean shakes his head and once again, moves his hand to touch his brother, to reassure him that he really doesn't mind "Hey Sammy, it's fine, your aloud to have a little freak out, OK. I really don't mind sleepin on the couch. It's probably more comfortable than most of the motels beds I've slept in recently. Besides I might get up for Hope if she wakes up in the middle of the night, it'll be like old times, when you would have nightmares and you can finally get some much needed sleep... Oh, don't forget, you have your therapy tomorrow, so you need all the sleep you can get." Dean smiles at Sam.

"OK, if you really don't mind. It'll be just for one night. You can sleep upstairs tomorrow" Sam says nodding too himself, like he's trying to syke himself up, so by tomorrow he won't need his brother on the couch again.

"Don't worry Sammy we'll sort out the sleeping arrangements tomorrow OK." Dean says nudging him to move towards his room and getting up himself so he can start pulling out the bed held within the couch and to make it with the sheets and blanket Bobby had placed on the coffee table, so he can get a few hours shut eye.

Looking up seeing Bobby watching them from the guest room doorframe, with a small smile on his face. "He's right Sam, please, get some sleep now, your therapy sessions always take a lot out of you. Dean and I need to get some sleep too, we'll be keeping watch while you're with Tracy."

Nodding in acceptance, Sam wheels himself toward his room, where Hope lay sleeping soundly, peacefully. "Ok Pa, I'm going to bed, don't take too long to do the same?" Sam wheels inside the room, "Night" he says before closing the door behind him.

"Night Sammy" Dean says to his brother, then looks at Bobby when the door closes and whispers "He still doesn't believe that I'm here for good, I really want him to trust me, ...I thought we had moved past all that stuff, it's like one step forward, two steps back."

"He does trust you Dean, what he doesn't trust is his own strength, he thinks he's being weak by needing you, because throughout his recovery, he tried to tell himself he didn't need you, he could move on, by himself. I tried to fill the void, and I know I have become the family he craved, and it's a role I cherish, but I know it's not the same" Bobby says sadly.

"Hey, man, don't sell yourself short, I mean, what you did for Sammy... what you've been for him. I can't even... I could never repay you for that, never" Dean says, trying to keep his own emotions in check. "You are his family, I'm just his long lost brother, trying to come back into the fold"


	9. Slight of Hand

I hope you all like this chapter, I had to work hard on it because this is where everything changes, so, let me know if you like it!

Please forgive all mistakes they're mine alone.

A/N: Thank you as always to everyone who is favouriting, following and reviewing, I am truly honored.

Disclaimer: I don't own Supernatural or any of the wonderful characters that I am taking on this journey.

Chapter 9 - Slight of Hand

After making his bed and saying goodnight to Bobby, Dean had changed into his sleeping attire then as he was about to get into his bed, he heard the first signs of a grumbly Hope waking up. He walked into Sam's bedroom and to the crib that held the little girl who had stolen his heart. He picked her up and walked quickly and quietly into the main room. He soothed her by rubbing her warm back and kissing her on the head, breathing in the baby smell that made him remember his little brother as a baby, feeding and changing him, entertaining and comforting him, when their Dad was too sad or when he left them with a friend and Dean wouldn't allow anyone but himself touch baby SammyA.

Hope sighed heavily as she made herself comfortable in her uncles arms, whining stopping now that someone was paying attention to her. He began to conduct the tests to see what the problem was. He felt the weight of her diaper, no that wasn't it, so he rubbed her back as he walked to the kitchen to warm up her bottle in case she was hungry. She snuggled into his chest, feeling his warmth and listening to his heart beat. Still a little sleepy, she sucked on thumb in her mouth, and waited to be fed. Minutes later the bottle was warm enough for her to drink, so he took a seat on his bed and moved Hope so she was on the correct position for feeding and put the bottle in her mouth and straight away she started sucking hungrily. He looked down into her face, watching her, seeing her beautiful blue green eyes up close, her button nose and her soft skin. She was in a word, perfect and she seemed to be more like her mother than Sam, except the eyes, they were all his brother.

A wave if emotion came over him, his brother was a parent, he and his wife had produced this small child, the next generation of Winchesters who was going to have a chance to live any life she dreamed off. And the fact that she was so far the only living female Winchester was even more precious. Dean makes himself comfortable on his bed with Hope laying down beside him. Hopes sucking started to become slower and her eyes started to close as she got sleepier, watching her eyes become heavier, his eyes also started to close, he thought to himself that he would just have a quick nap.

Hours later, the sun had already risen, Bobby was in the kitchen, brewing coffee and frying up some bacon, Sam started to move around as he woke up, he opened his eyes and looked up at the ceiling blinking trying get his brain to catch up. He had slept without any interruptions, he moved his head towards the bright digital clock on the side table, past 8am, wow he had slept for 10 hours straight, how did that happen. Then realization hit him and he quickly pushed himself up and looked over to the crib, it was empty, panic quickly rushing within him making his heart pound in his chest and his hands to shake. Sam quickly grabs his wheelchair and practically leaps into it, still in his T-shirt and boxers he yanks the bedroom door open and zoomed into the lounge room only to stop in his tracks. There on the fold out bed was his older brother and his daughter sound asleep, Dean on his side facing Hope and his baby daughter on her back, head turned towards her uncle with her hand clasped onto the amulet around his neck.

His breathing, changing from panic to surprise to calm, seeing his usually fussy daughter sleeping soundly with her uncle. She hadn't slept through the night since Jess had died, so to have her sleep with Dean for most of the night without waking him up was a huge accomplishment, he should probably be jealous but he wasn't, not if his brother was able to comfort his little girl. When her nocturnal habits had first changed, he had thought maybe she was so fussy because she could tell that someone was missing, her _mummy_ was missing and she didn't understand what had happened to her. Maybe Dean was helping her by filling the emptiness left by her mother by being someone who loved her unconditionally and who she could trust.

Again he felt blessed and extremely lucky that he had his brother back in his life, now that all this stuff was happening and with everything that had already happened, he needed someone else to help take some of the load and his brother was willing and able to take it on his strong shoulders and the fact that he had accepted his disability without making him feel weak, instead he was surprised to feel as equal to the task as his big brother.

Hope was of course another matter entirely, Dean had taken to her like a duck to water, and Sam had not wanted him to get too close to her because he didn't trust him with her heart as he had his broken when he had left for a better life at Stanford and after the fire and his accident he supposed family had fallen of the grid and he was fine with that, Bobby more that made up for any family he thought he had lost, he was a father, brother and friend to a young man who had lost so much in such a short space of time and didn't ask for anything in return except his companionship and the permission to be part of this little family. Now it was bigger and he was happy with what he had, sure that Jess was smiling at him, he smiled more than he used to and he laughed at stuff he hadn't found all that funny a few short months ago.

Just as he was about to wake his brother up, he began to stir and his hand came out to touch Hope on the chest, unconsciously making sure she was still there and that she was OK. If Sam had any doubt that Dean cared about his daughter it went out the window with that gesture.

"Mornin Dean" Sam said softly as Hope made a small lip smacking sound and a ridiculously adorable yawn but kept her eyes closed, and resettled with her uncles warm hand still on her chest as he started stroking softly, she was asleep again in seconds.

"Mmmmornin" Dean made a stretching sound when he stretched his legs and rolled onto his back.

Sam chuckled softly and left them both to it as he wheeled himself into the kitchen. "Mornin Pa, did you see those two in there? Hope slept through the night, can you believe it?"

Bobby turned around and smiled at Sam's greeting, "Morning Son, you slept well too I'm sure if that's true" Bobby smirked and tilted his head toward the lounge room "If Dean was on baby duty then only this bacon will will rouse him" chuckling Bobby.

Just then Dean came into the kitchen with Hope in his arms, his hair all over the place and still wearing his boxers and tshirt. "Hey Bobby can I get a coffee and some of that bacon and my little lady here wants some mashed banana please"

"Whoa, where did you come from? What have you done with my brother?" Sam asks with a huge smile on his face, showing his dimples.

"Well, I can honestly say that Hope and I had the best nights sleep that we have had in a _looonnng_ time. I'm a gentleman so I won't give away my secrets but I think she liked my amulet, she would not give it up" Dean smiles at Sam, happy to see his little brother happy.

"Ok, so? Hope and I bonded.. So what? What's wrong with that" Dean says a little insulted and surprised at the shift in the mood.

"Hey calm down, it's fine, I was just saying to Bobby that Hope hasn't been sleeping that well lately, so last night was the most she slept for anyone since... Well since Jess... you know" Sam says, uncomfortable and a little worried that he cants say out loud what happened. He thought he was moving past it all,a or at least able to say that Jess had... been taken from him. Hhmm

"Sorry, I don't know why I got so defensive... Maybe I'm just enjoying this whole uncle thing and when you seem so surprised that I can do something, then I, I don't know, need to defend myself. I mean, I practically raised you when I was four years old so... I have experience. And she is SO much like you, it's not funny"

Sam is taken aback by his brothers defensiveness, ok time to nip this in the bud. "Dean, seriously, it's fine, I'm not questioning your... Uncle skills, but both Bobby and I have had trouble getting her to sleep more that 3 hours at a time... It's really messing with all our sleep patterns. What's your secret?" Sam pats himself on the back for the way he made Dean feel special, hopefully he doesn't take it that he feels threatened, but knowing his big brother he's already there.

Dean suddenly feels like an idiot, Sam must be feeling inadequate or something, quick sooth it over. "Ah Sammy, it's not like that, she's not favouring me over you OK, you're her daddy and you're pretty awesome at it too, you know that right little brother?" Dean is really wishing he could take back the last five minutes and tak this whole conversation in a different direction.

"Yeah, Dean, I know, thank you for saying that. It's nice to hear, sometimes I feel like the worst dad in the world"Sam is looking at Dean with unsure eyes.

Bobby suddenly clears his throat "Alright are we done ladies?, my god it's like watching an episode of Oprah!" Shaking his head and trying to hide a smile then a snigger when Dean quickly stands up passes Hope to her father and goes to have a shower, muttering to himself.

Sam sits there quietly, watching Bobby then when Dean is out of ear shot he says " You watch Oprah? Unable to suppress that laughter that just comes out if his mouth. Hope squeals in laughter too when her daddy laughs because it is so rare that it makes her happy when she hears it.

Bobby, washes up with his back turned to Sam as they laugh and listening to the sound of father and daughter laughing makes him smile and he stays there washing the dishes for as long as possible just listening. Then moving off to get changed himself for Sam's appointment.

Forty five minutes later Sam is with his physical therapist, doing some exercises as Bobby, Dean and Hope in her baby capsule are outside keeping watch on all people coming and going and Bobby with his binoculars is periodically watching Sam with Tracy thought the large glass windows.

Watching as Sam completes another set of arm weights, Bobby notices that there is only one other patient in the gym with Sam, a woman he has seen previously, who had had a car accident and was left a paraplegic, she and Sam had felt a connection as they both had been victims of accidents. They had both felt some depression at one point and had helped each other through it.

As Dean was about to say there wasn't even a sniff of trouble coming, Bobby spotted someone who was acting suspicious over by the door much like the other two goons from two days ago, Bobby leapt out to investigate, and Deaf had to move to he back seat as Hope showed signs that she needed a diaper change, something he never thought he would do in the backseat of the impala.

When Bobby came back, breathless, the possible demon actually being the gardener, and after Dean finished with Hope, he stood outside the car leaning agains a door letting Hope breath in some fresh air instead of the now suffocating air from inside the car. Bobby grabbed the binoculars to check on Sam and noticed that he was no longer in the gym. Squishing down the flare of panic that came over him, he walked around the other side of the building quickly to where the pool was located, they must have already moved on to the aqua therapy. Looking around the pool area and again no Sam. Panic and worry now fully taking hold of him, Bobby rushing through the doors to make sure he wasn't overreacting and Sam was in the change rooms, he was about to god through the doors to the pool area when he noticed someone behind a potted plant, moving closer he noticed that is was the other patient, bound and gagged. He quickly bent down to see if she was alive, sighing out a breath of relief he stood up and ran to the front desk, yelling for help, he then ran into the pool area and quickly scanned the room, he ran into the change rooms and again there was no sign of Sam, except for his gym bag and his beach towel. He grabbed all Sam's gear and ran back out to Dean who was now passing in front of the impala with a worried look on his face.

Bobby charged to Dean and when he saw the bag, he went into full grown panic mode, making Hope start grumbling. "What's happened to Sam Bobby? Where is he?"

Bobby shakes his head "I don't know but the other patient was bound and gagged and Tracy and the other therapist have also disappeared, my guess is, this is retribution, and now they have Sam, who knows what they'll do to him" Bobby says scared out of his mind for the young mango was more his son everyday.

"What are we going to do Bobby? We have to get him back, now, he's so close to waking again, I can feel it." Dean is shaking all over, it's as if he is vibrating. "If they hurt one hair on his head, they are all dead"

"To right they are, I'm not letting anything else happen to my... that boy again, he doesn't deserve it" Bobby is so mad, he can't think straight. There only hope now is if the kidnappers call or if they find a grey convenient lead. Somehow with their luck, the latter wasn't happening but they needed to find Sam quickly.

"Ok, let's be smart, we know what took him and why, but where... Would it be somewhere inconspicuous, meaning they mean to hurt him for a while or would it be somewhere completely obvious meaning they want to make a deal?"

"Either way, these bastards are going to regret they ever crossed a Winchester!" Dean says passionately, hoping that they got his little brother back quickly, they just started to be brothers again and he didn't want to break his promise. His brother was coming home, safe and sound.


	10. The Sins of the Mother

Here is the next chapter for you all. I hope you enjoy it!

Please forgive all mistakes they're mine alone.

A/N: Thank you as always to everyone who is favouriting, following and reviewing, I am truly honored.

Disclaimer: I don't own Supernatural or any of the wonderful characters that I am taking on this journey.

Chapter 10 -The Sins of the Mother.

Sam was in a world of hurt. He had been shoved into a cage that was so small he couldn't stretch out his legs, that where cramping up because of the position he had to keep them at, and his back ached because he was slouched over at a weird angle, his height had never before been such a burden and a disadvantage, he felt like a human pretzel. His head hurt and his vision was blurry, he hoped that whatever had happened, it was only temporary and that the pain in his legs wasn't a sign that his recovery had been set back. All the hard work he had been doing, would be for nothing, he could easily slip back into the crushing depression that had him contemplating ending his own life at his lowest of moments.

Tracy and Grace, the other physical therapist, had both been possessed by demons, were upstairs with at least three other demons, they hadn't talked to him much on the drive to this abandoned house but he did hear them saying that their boss wanted him unharmed.

Suddenly the metal door to the basement opened and Tracy walked down the stairs with wicked grin on her face, holding an unusual looking devise with two prongs on one end. "Well hello there handsome, this meat-suit really fancies you, she keeps thinking about your muscles and your sexy ass, something I think I would love to see later but my boss doesn't want us to hurt you... much, until he gets here, for the festivities.

Sam, was suddenly worried by what she meant by festivities but would wait it out until Dean and or Bobby was able to rescue him. Hopefully, sooner rather than later.

Suddenly Tracy grabbed his arm and pulled it out of the cage, with her other arm she reached over for the weird devise she had brought with her and she directed it into his side and pressed the button. Sam was assaulted with a high voltage throughout his whole body, making him scream in agony, because of the confined space, be wasn't able to move away from the devise. Tracy only had it on his body for mere seconds but because of the pain he was already in, to Sam it felt like hours. The direct pain stopped, his body kept twitching, even after she took the devise away from his body.

She grabbed his face with her strong hand and smooshed it against the bars. "So, you're probably wondering why I did that... that was what it felt like when you exorcised me, I'm just returning the favour. Now we are just waiting for the boss to get here, then we'll tell you what we want" she kissed him hard on the lips, making him cringe but also wanting to send some comfort to Tracy, who he actually had a little thing for, she was supportive and understanding and she made him feel something he hadn't felt in a long time.

She pushed his face back into the cage, turned and walked back up the stairs and out the door, slamming the door shut behind her. Sam breathed heavily, through his nose, he quickly moved his shirt up so he could see the damage left by the cattle prod, he had two, hot, red, blistered, bruised marks on his side, they looked like really bad third degree burns, wishing that he had some ice or cold water to wash over them to relieve some of the burning sensation that was shooting through him, he closed his eyes to try and breath through it. Sending out a silent prayer that Dean and Bobby would find him soon.

Dean was a panicky, worried, angry ball of nerves. He had been pacing over the same strip of carpet of the motel he and Bobby had booked them selves into while they searched for Sam. Hope was sleeping in her car capsule that Bobby had brought inside. Bobby was calling all his contacts outside while Dean brooded and worried himself into an early grave.

Bobby opened the door and walked in quickly and quietly, making sure not to wake Hope out of her exhausted sleep. She had cried for a good hour before falling asleep 30 minutes ago. She could sense their distress and she also knew that her Daddy wasn't there with them, which made Dean stress even more.

"I have some good and some bad news. Which do you want first?" Bobby asked with a serious look on his face and a strained voice.

"Hit me with the bad news" Dean said not in the mood to play games.

"None of the other hunters I called are less than five hours away, so it's just you and me for now, I do have Caleb coming here in just over five hours, I had called him in to help with the extra protection around the yard but I told him to bypass my place and come straight here" Bobby cleared his throat.

"OK, what's the good news?" Dean asked loosing Hope by the second.

"I have a way of locating Sam, but it requires hacking into his phone and tracking his gps. Luckily, he doesn't know, that I know, how to do that so he hasn't turned it off"

"That's sneaky Bobby! Sam will be pi##ed at you for doing that if he found out" Dean smiled at the older hunter.

"Yeah, well, it's also going to save his life, so I'm not sorry." Bobby says back, without a hint of apology.

"Okay, old man, I'm just sayin I know Sam can get a little funny about his privacy but I'm sure he will get over it when we save his ass." Dean laughs lightly at the bantering.

"Okay, so where do we start? Abandoned warehouses, barns, shacks?" Dean asks seriously, wanting to get back to searching for Sam. His lungs getting constricted at the thought of not getting him back, not when he was finally getting his brother back.

"Yeah, all of those, obviously ya idjit" Bobby give Dean a look, like he he hadn't forgotten. "That's why I'm looking into his gps, to shorten the search"

"I know, I'm sorry, I'm just really worried" Dean gives him a small smile in apology.

Suddenly the computer pinged at them, Bobby jumped over to the laptop and clicked and clacked on the keyboard. He looked up at Dean and smiled so big. "We've found him, Dean"

Sam sat scrunched in the dark and silence which was deafening and maddening for what felt like hours, he went from being hopeful of his imminent rescue, to being resigned to his fate.

The door opened quickly and a dark figure walked through it, toward him at a quick pace, then stopped right in front of him. "Ah there you are Sammy boy, you have been hiding from me, and I don't take kindly to being ignored" the Yellow Eyed demon looked at Sam, with an evil grin on his face. "I was promised something and when I didn't get it, I was very angry, that is why I had to take your delicious wife from you. She was supposed to leave me alone with your daughter but she didn't, she interrupted me, before I got to do what I wanted. She reneged on the deal"

"What? Why would she make a deal with you?" Sam asked, swallowing down need to throw up.

"She made a deal, your life for a minute alone with your beautiful daughter. You see, you died, saving her from a mugger, (quite the hero), then when she was crying over your corpse, I came to the rescue and offered her a deal and in her grief, she took it but when she was supposed to leave us alone, she couldn't help herself, her mothering instincts kicked in. I had to do, what I had to do as punishment." Giving Sam a demented and evil glare.

Sam was shaking his head, this all seemed like a horrible dream, demons lied all the time, but his heart was telling him otherwise, somehow this had happened, and it put them all on this unfortunate path. Knowing that if he were in his wife's shoes, he probably would have chosen the same one.

"What do you want from me now?" Sam asked, bitterly, angrily with emotions making his lip quiver and he swallowed them down as he didn't want this demon who had destroyed his life and family twice.

"Well, my dear boy, I want you to give me your daughter, so I can finish what I started" the yellow eyed demon said with condescension.

"No!, no way, you won't get your hands on my daughter, she's innocent, besides it's not like I have her in my pocket" Sam said snarkily, wishing he could give him the finger and storm off.

"Well if you don't have her brought to me, I may have to take her" the demon said, turning around and walking back out the door and slamming it shut.

Dean and Bobby gather all their weapons and make a plan, Hope is put in her car seat, and they jump in the car and start driving. Five hours later, they slow down in front of a rundown abandoned house, watching for any movement or sign of life. "Are you sure Sam's in there?" Dean whispers to Bobby, Hope asleep in the back.

"Yeah, he's definitely in there, well, his phone is definitely in there anyway" Bobby says glancing at Dean.

"Thanks, Bobby, not instilling a lot of confidence here" shaking his head in annoyance.

"Just, go on up and check it out. If he's there, get him out will ya, get him back here." Bobby looks at him in the eyes, let's him know that he trusts that he will bring Sam back.

Dean gets out, grabs his pistol, his shot gun and some holy water. He leans in the back and kisses Hope on the head "I'll get your daddy back sweetie"

Bobby drives further down the road and hides the impala near some bushes and trees. Gets his binoculars out and watches him. Dean sneaks around the side and peers in through a window, quickly, them moves down to the next window and does the same and then moves on to the back of the house, slowly and stealthily.

Bobby takes a breath when Dean falls out of sight. "Be careful Dean" Bobby whispers to himself.

Dean moves up the back steps onto the patio, keeping in the shadows, he creeps inside, listening, he hears a creak and moves around and sees someone standing in the front room, he starts whispering a Latin chant, talking quickly, the demon rounds on him in pain, he speeds up, he throws holy water on it, the demon screams in pain, he grabs for it around the neck and keeps reciting the prayer until the end, the black smoke comes shooting out of its mouth. He drops the vessel to the ground, then moves off to the basement, not hearing any more noises but knowing that more demons would becoming soon.

The door to the basement was locked, he kicked the door in, gun raised, he takes each step at a run, he looks left then right, finger resting on the trigger. Then he flicks the light switch and there in the middle of the basement is a cage and in the cage is his little brother, cramped and unconscious. Dean looks around for keys or something to help him open the cage, he looks at Sam in the cage, like an animal and starts to panic. Then he remembers his brothers lock pic set and looks in his packet and pulls them out, kneels in front of the cage and an starts to pic the lock. What feels like hours later, he has it open and Sam practically falls out on top of him and he drags him so he can stretch his long legs out.

Dean pats his face lightly "Sammy?, come on, wake up Sam, please" watching his face closely. "Sammy! Little brother, come on, wake up"

Sam groans softly and moves his head mumbling incoherently, his eyes flicker open and he panics and tries to move away from Dean. "Hey, hey, hey, it's ok, it's me, Sammy, it's me Dean" Sam's scared eyes fall on his and the result is immediate, his shoulders slump in relief and he grabs Deans forearms hard, breathing heavy. "It's alright, I gotcha Sammy, just breath, I gotcha"

"Thank god" Sam's raspy voice makes him sound like he's been screaming for a long time.

Dean takes stock of how shaky and pale he is, then remembers that they have to get out of there and back to Bobby's. "Alright Sammy, we have to get you out of here" Dean looked around the room, he sees an assortment of tools and miscellaneous objects, in one corner was a stack of poles, sticks, bats, and what looked suspiciously like a cattle prod. Not wanting to think what those had been used for or on whom. He grabs onto his brothers arms and hooked his arms through them and dragged his brother to a chair just to the right of them, then held him to his chest until his breathing and pain was under control.

"Alright Sammy, I'm going to carry you out of here." Dean bends down to see into Sam's red rimed eyes. "Like a damsel in distress" he says chuckling trying to lighten the mood.

Huffing out a breath Sam replies "Ok, Thanks Dean, ...your not much of a night in shining armor though" Sam whispered then coughed into his shoulder, and gasped for breath between coughs. Dean rubbed his back and waited until he was done.

"Let's get goin Sammy, we might have visitors soon" Dean wound his arm around Sam's back and under his legs, bracing himself fir Sam's weight. "Bobby is waiting outside with Hope, let's go"

They made a unusual sight, Dean taking one step at a time, trying not to bump Sam's head or legs as he went. They finally made it up to the top step, and Dean put Sam down so he could use his hands to check they had the all clear, he had a quick look around, with his pistol at the ready.

When no one appeared, he picked up Sam again, who had worked up a sweat and was panting his breaths working through the cramps in his legs and Dean just wanted to get them out of this place and back to the motel so they could get a good look at what they had done to Sam.

Then once Caleb had arrived, the three of them could come back and take care of these demons, once and for all.

"We have to protect Hope " Sam said in his weak raspy voice, getting quieter each time he spoke. "The demon wants her"

Dean continued to walk with Sam's weight getting heavier the closer they got. Shaking his head at what Sam had said. "Well he'll have to go through me to get to her."

"That can easily be arranged" the yellow eyed demon, appeared behind them, flinging them to the far wall with his powers, making Sam cry out in pain when the hard landing made his already cramping legs and back shoot pain through his whole body.


End file.
